Pune: 65-year-old man gets death penalty for rape-murder of minor

A Pune special court awarded the death penalty to 65-year-old Bhimrao Kambale for raping and murdering a three-year-old girl. The court deemed the crime 'heinous' and found the prosecution had proven guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

A special court in Pune on Monday awarded the death penalty to a 65-year-old man convicted of raping and murdering a three-year-old girl in Pune district, describing the crime as "heinous."

The convict, identified as Bhimrao Kambale, was found guilty of raping and murdering the minor in Nasrapur village. The incident took place on May 1. The case was heard in a fast-track court following the incident. While pronouncing the sentence, the special court observed that the nature of the offence was heinous and held that the gravity and motive of the crime warranted the imposition of the death penalty.

On June 25, the Pune Court delivered a guilty verdict, affirming that the prosecution successfully proved all charges against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt. Following the court's conclusion that the accused is guilty under all relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita, the proceedings moved toward the sentencing phase. After hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the complainant's side, the court had scheduled the final sentencing decision for today.

Prosecution's Arguments for Capital Punishment

Special Public Prosecutor Advocate Ajay Misar stated that the prosecution team prioritised the gravity of the offence throughout the trial.

"The case was placed for the final judgement today. The court delivered its verdict. In this judgment, the prosecution concluded that all the charges against the accused were proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The court concluded that the accused was guilty under all the sections of the IPC and declared him guilty," said Misar.

Citing Supreme Court Precedents

To emphasise the demand for the maximum possible penalty, the prosecution cited 12 landmark Supreme Court judgments that discuss the necessity of capital punishment and the death penalty for heinous crimes involving minors.

"The prosecution cited 12 landmark Supreme Court judgments in court, which debated the need for capital punishment and the death penalty for such crimes and the court agreed," Advocate Misar noted regarding the judicial reception of their arguments." Subsequently, the complainant's side presented their arguments, and after hearing all these arguments, the court postponed the case to Monday, the 29th, for a sentencing decision," he added.

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