9-yr-old girl sexually assaulted, murdered in Pune; neighbour held, govt assures strict action

A nine-and-a-half-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and murdered in Pune, Maharashtra, according to police reports. The alleged perpetrator, a 25-year-old daily wager, has been arrested. The incident took place in Pimpalwandi village, Junnar tehsil on Tuesday afternoon. The accused and the victim were known to each other, living in the same neighborhood and community.

On Tuesday, the man lured the girl away from her home while she was watching television, offering her a guava. He allegedly took her to a nearby farm where the crime occurred. Her family discovered she was missing the following evening and lodged a missing complaint. After reviewing CCTV footage, the man was detained and confessed to the crime.

The body was recovered and sent for an autopsy. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar condemned the incident as "extremely shocking and unfortunate" and directed the police to conduct a thorough investigation, ensuring strict action against the culprit. She urged the Chief Minister to have the case tried in a fast-track court. The government vowed to support the victim's family and planned to visit the village to meet them.