“Beyond toleration”: Shiv Sena women leaders demand the death penalty in Nasrapur minor rape-murder case

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], May 3 (ANI): Tensions flared in Pune as women workers of the Shiv Sena held a high-profile protest against the brutal rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Nasrapur.
Demanding swift, uncompromising justice, the protesters called for the case to be moved to a fast-track court with the ultimate goal of capital punishment for the accused.
Leading the demonstration, Shiv Sena leader Sarika Pawar emphasised that the gravity of the crime transcends political affiliations. Speaking to the media during the protest, she highlighted the collective outrage felt by women across the state.
"We are the leaders of Shiv Sena, but as women, we keep politics aside," Pawar stated. "The injustice done to this three-year-old is beyond the level of toleration. None of the parties or the ruling side promotes crime and injustice, and we are here to ensure that message is heard."
Pawar reaffirmed that the party's core agenda remains the protection of the vulnerable. "Shiv Sena's agenda is to raise a voice against injustice," she said. "We will continue to raise our voice for the safety of women until tangible changes are made."
The protest comes after a four-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered by a 65-year-old man who lived in the surrounding area in a village in Pune district. According to Pune Rural Superintendent of Police, Sandeep Singh Gill, the accused has two similar cases against him.
NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar on Sunday highlighted the importance of the implementation of the Shakti Act, citing that it will enable capital punishment to criminals who are involved in heinous crimes, after the Pune rape and murder case of a four-year-old.
Pawar highlighted that the accused had been arrested and released on bail twice before he committed the crime, citing that the current law system has holes in it.
"The accused has been to jail twice, been released on bail twice, and the third time, he did this, torturing and killing his 3.5-year-old daughter. The law here needs to be changed because the current law has many lacunae. Therefore, it is very important to introduce the Shakti Act. From the Women's Commission to the Child Commission, apolitical leaders should be appointed there. Therefore, when the government makes a demand for capital punishment, only then can the criminal be given capital punishment or the death penalty," he said.
Earlier today, the father of the victim appealed to political leaders not to visit his home to offer condolences until his daughter gets justice and the accused is awarded capital punishment.
The accused was arrested shortly after the incident came to light when the girl went missing, and her relatives began searching for her. During the search, CCTV footage surfaced in which the accused was seen with the child.
The 65-year-old man, accused in the Nasrapur rape and murder case of a minor girl, has been sent to Police custody till May 7 by the Judicial Magistrate First Class Court of Pune.
The heinous incident invited public wrath as protestors blocked the Pune-Bengaluru highway.
According to police, the accused allegedly lured the child with food to a shed, where he sexually assaulted her and killed her.
Following the incident, hundreds of villagers gathered at a police chowki and highway last night, demanding strict action against the accused.
Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandipsingh Gill reached the spot and assured the public that the case will be fast-tracked and the accused has been booked under POSCO and other relevant sections of BNS.
Police used mild lathi charge to disperse protesters who blocked the Pune-Bengaluru Highway in Pune district while demonstrating against the Nasrapur minor rape and murder case. (ANI)