Minor girl raped and murdered in Pune, accused held

Minor girl raped and murdered in Pune, accused held The incident sparked outrage in the State as the Opposition triggered concern over the state of women's and children's safety in Maharashtra.

Key points

• As well as Sections 137 (2), 103 (a), 64, 65 (2), 140 (a), and 238 of the BNS, the police have registered a case under relevant sections of the POCSO Act.
• The 25-year-old accused allegedly raped and murdered a 9.5-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Pune district, Pune rural police remarked on Wednesday (August 19, 2026).
• According to the police, the incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon (August 18, 2026) in Pimpalwandi village, located in Junnar tehsil.
• Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar called the incident "extremely shocking and unfortunate", directing the police to conduct a probe and ensure stringent action against the culprit.
• The incident sparked outrage in the State as the Opposition triggered concern over the state of women's and children's safety in the State.

Meanwhile, the 25-year-old accused allegedly raped and murdered a 9.5-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Pune district, Pune rural police remarked on Wednesday (August 19, 2026).

According to the police, the incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon (August 18, 2026) in Pimpalwandi village, located in Junnar tehsil. "The accused was the deceased's neighbour. This person lured her to a sugarcane field regarding 1.5 km from the village under the pretext of offering her fruits. He then sexually assaulted and murdered her, " remarked Pune Rural SP Sandeep Singh Gill. The family documented their daughter missing around 6 p.m.

After inquiring regarding the child's whereabouts, the police identified a clue and reached the accused with whom the girl was last seen before she went missing, according to the Pune Police, during the investigation. As well as Sections 137 (2), 103 (a), 64, 65 (2), 140 (a), and 238 of the BNS, the police have registered a case under relevant sections of the POCSO Act.

"The suspect has confessed to the crime and took officers to the spot, where we discovered the dead body of the child. The girl died due to strangulation. The autopsy is done, and further investigation is under way, " continued Mr. Gill.

Meanwhile, the incident sparked outrage in the State as the Opposition triggered concern over the state of women's and children's safety in the State.

NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule called the incident a "stark reminder" of the poor safety of women in the State, demanding a fast-track trial. While illegal liquor sales have allegedly been carried out openly in the village, she remarked, "As per a number of reports, the police outpost in Pimpalwandi village, where the incident took place, has been closed for the past 10 years. This reflects gross negligence."

"I spoke over the phone with SP Sandeep Singh Gill and reviewed the investigation. The suspected accused has been taken into custody by the police. I will create a special request to the Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis to conduct the trial in a fast-track court, " she stated on X.

For now, minor girl raped and murdered in Pune, accused held remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.