Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also heads the home department, on Saturday said that the Pune 4-year-old girl`s rape and murder case was “extremely shameful and deeply painful” and promised a fast-track court trial as the Opposition raised delay in Shakti Act concerns.
The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP SP) leader and former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh criticised the state of delays in implementing the Shakti Act, a stringent anti-sexual-crime law passed by the Maharashtra legislature in 2020 as leaders across political parties in Maharashtra strongly condemned the horrific rape and murder of the girl.
They demanded the harshest possible punishment. Calls for the death penalty have grown louder, along with demands for a fast-track trial to ensure swift justice.
Fast-track trial
CM Fadnavis said, “We will request the High Court to appoint a special public prosecutor. Efforts will be made to ensure capital punishment for the accused in the shortest possible time,” he said, while also stating that politicisation of the incident is insensitive.
Fadnavis also expressed condolences for the deceased child`s family and said the government stands with them in this difficult time, reported the PTI.
Shakti Act delay concerns
NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh called for a fast-track trial and immediate death sentence. He noted that preliminary information suggests the accused may have assaulted children in the past, reported PTI.
“How do such criminals roam freely in society?”
Deshmukh called for implementing the Shakti Act which was proposed to fast-track trials and impose harsher penalties including the death sentence within 15 days for the most brutal offences. However, it has remained in limbo, awaiting Presidential assent after being returned by the Centre.
“When there is an urgent need for this law in the state, the Centre and the state government are passing the buck to each other instead of implementing it,” Deshmukh said.
He alleged that crimes against women and girls are rising in Maharashtra and accused the Devendra Fadnavis-led government of not being serious about enforcement.
NCP (SP) leaders, Sule and Pawar visit village, call for strict action
NCP (SP) leaders Supriya Sule and Rohit Pawar visited the village of the deceased girl, with Sule noting that the area falls under her Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. She said she plans to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday to demand strict action against the accused, reported PTI.
“How did this accused get bail in past criminal cases? There should be a fast-track trial in the case,” said the MP also expressing concern over no chairperson for state women’s commission currently.
A stain on humanity: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale
“This grief is truly unbearable and beyond endurance. The administration must immediately conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that this beast is swiftly sentenced to death by hanging. We will not sit in silence until justice is served for this innocent soul,” Ramdas Athawale said in a post on X.
Worst kind of atrocity: Shaina NC
Shiv Sena National Spokesperson Shaina NC questioned the state of society itself, “What has our society come to? A four-year-old girl and a 65-year-old man who lured her, sexually assaulted her and killed her… This is not just Kalyug. This is the worst kind of atrocity against a child.”
She confirmed that charges have been filed under the POCSO Act and multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Maharashtra Minister Yogesh Kadam
State Minister Yogesh Kadam confirmed an active investigation and pledged that authorities would seek the strictest punishment available under law, reported IANS.
Public Fury and Highway Blockade
News of the crime spread rapidly through the village and beyond. Hundreds of residents converged on the local police chowki, and outraged villagers blocked the Pune–Bengaluru Highway demanding immediate and uncompromising justice.
Despite confirmation that the suspect is in police custody, the community`s anger shows no sign of abating. Protesters have made clear they will not disperse until assured of the harshest possible punishment, reported the news agencies.
Village in shock
A four-year-old girl went missing from her home in Nasrapur village, Bhor Taluka, Pune district on the afternoon of 1 May 2026. What began as a frantic family search ended in horror when her mutilated body was discovered in a cattle shed.
Police say the 65-year-old suspect lured the child with the promise of food, took her to an enclosure, sexually assaulted her, and killed her reportedly by crushing her head with a stone. CCTV footage from the area captured the man leading the toddler away, enabling swift identification and detention.
(With PTI and IANS Inputs)