Hundreds of people gathered on the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway near Pune to protest against the assualt and murder of a four-year-old girl by a labourer. This led to a traffic disruption on the route for nearly four hours.
Published: May 3, 2026 12:17 PM IST
Traffic on the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway in Pune took a hit for nearly fours after hundreds of people blocked it on Saturday to protest against the sexual assault and murder of a four-year-old girl. According to news agency PTI, the girl’s family members and other demonstrators placed the body on the road in the Navale Bridge area on Saturday evening and demanded stringent punishment for the 65-year-old man arrested in the case.
Videos of the blockade on the highway went viral on social media, showing long queues of vehicles stranded on the highway as the protest escalated. Later, the victim’s last rites were performed at the Vaikunt crematorium here shortly after midnight amid tight police security.
#WATCH | Pune, Maharashtra: People block Pune-Bengaluru highway as they hold a protest against the Pune minor rape & murder case. https://t.co/JqDfBISThU pic.twitter.com/S5poVuwBWU
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2026
What happened?
The accused, Bhimrao Kamble, allegedly lured the girl with the promise of food on Friday in the Bhor tehsil of Pune district. He then took her to a cattle enclosure where he allegedly sexually assaulted her and later killed her by hitting her with a stone, according to the police. Kamble works as a labourer and has a criminal record.
He was arrested based on CCTV footage from a private residence, which captured him with the child. A case was registered against him under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and he has been remanded in police custody till May 7.
The police said that the man was arrested within an hour of receiving information. Pune Rural Police SP Sandeep Singh Gill said, “The accused is a 65-year-old man who lives in the surrounding area. He lured the girl and did this. We arrested the accused within an hour of receiving information. The accused has two similar cases registered against him, including a POCSO case in 2015. Investigation reveals that he is of this tendency.”
#WATCH | Pune, Maharashtra: Pune Rural Police SP Sandeep Singh Gill says, “…The accused is a 65-year-old man who lives in the surrounding area. He lured the girl and did this…We arrested the accused within an hour of receiving information…The accused has two similar cases… https://t.co/FoW77Hx7t1 pic.twitter.com/mNO1QH0IWD
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2026
Maharashtra CM met victim’s family
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Saturday met the family of the victim, assuring them of strict action against the accused and a fast-track trial. Describing the incident as “shocking” and a “blot on humanity”, Pawar said the government stands firmly with the victim’s family and will ensure justice.
She also spoke to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and sought a fast-track court trial so that the accused receives the harshest punishment. Deputy CM Eknath Shinde directed Pune rural police to gather concrete evidence to build a watertight case and conduct the trial in a fast-track court. Efforts should be made to ensure the accused gets the death penalty, a statement quoted Shinde as saying.
With inputs from agencies
