Mumbai-Bengaluru highway choked as protests erupt over minor’s rape and murder in Pune

Traffic on the busy Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway was brought to a standstill on Saturday after hundreds of protesters blocked the route in Pune, demanding justice for a three-and-a-half-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and murdered in Nasrapur village.

The protests followed the arrest of a 65-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting and killing the child inside a cowshed in the village.

Highway protest causes major disruption

The victim’s family members, joined by local residents and activists, staged a sit-in near the Navale Bridge area, placing the child’s body on the road as they demanded the strictest possible punishment for the accused.

Though the demonstration began peacefully, tensions escalated when protesters moved to block the highway, triggering massive traffic congestion and long queues of stranded vehicles.

Pune Traffic Police issued an advisory asking commuters to avoid the Wadgaon Bridge stretch and use alternate routes until normal movement was restored.

Police later cleared the blockade and dispersed demonstrators.

The girl’s last rites were performed shortly after midnight at Vaikunt Crematorium under tight security.

What happened in Nasrapur

According to police, the child had gone missing while playing near her grandmother’s house, where she was visiting during summer vacation.

When family members could not locate her after several hours, they alerted locals and filed a complaint at Rajgad Police Station.

Villagers reviewing CCTV footage reportedly spotted the accused entering a cattle shed with the child.

Locals traced him near a riverside and allegedly assaulted him before police intervened.

Officers later searched the cowshed and discovered the girl’s body hidden under cow dung, with severe injuries to her head.

Police said the accused allegedly lured the child to the shed on the pretext of showing her a calf before sexually assaulting and killing her.

Investigators suspect he struck her in the face with a stone before attempting to conceal evidence.

Accused had prior molestation cases

Sandeep Singh Gill said the accused has a criminal history, including molestation cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act in 1998 and 2015.

He was also acquitted in another case in 2019.

Police said the accused displayed a recurring behavioural pattern and that investigators are examining how he managed to lure the child.

Case registered under POCSO, accused remanded

A case has been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act.

A sessions court in Pune has remanded the accused to police custody until May 7.

Political leaders demand death penalty

Devendra Fadnavis strongly condemned the incident and said the state would seek capital punishment.

Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar met the victim’s family and assured them of a fast-track trial.

Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde directed Pune Rural Police to build a watertight case to ensure the harshest punishment.

The incident has triggered widespread outrage across Maharashtra, reigniting demands for stronger safeguards against crimes against children and faster judicial action in sexual assault cases.