Pune, 29th June 2026: Today the Special POCSO Court will pronounce the sentence for Bhimrao Prabhakar Kamble, who was convicted of raping and brutally murdering a three-and-a-half-year-old girl in Nasrapur. The court will decide whether he will be awarded the death penalty or life imprisonment.
On Thursday, Special Judge S.R. Salunke convicted Kamble under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Following the conviction, the court heard separate arguments from the prosecution, the defence, and the complainant on the quantum of punishment.
Special Public Prosecutor Ajay Misar argued that the crime falls under the 'rarest of rare' category and requested capital punishment. He told the court that the accused had kidnapped the child, sexually assaulted her, and murdered her to destroy evidence. The prosecution also argued that the nature of the crime showed little possibility of the accused's reformation.
The prosecution relied on DNA findings, forensic evidence, CCTV footage, circumstantial evidence, and witness testimonies to establish Kamble's guilt. Investigators had also found 18 serious injuries on the victim's body, strengthening the prosecution's case.
The defence, however, contended that the case was based mainly on circumstantial evidence and did not qualify as a 'rarest of rare' offence deserving the death penalty.
It also argued that the chain of evidence against the accused was not complete. The court is expected to deliver its final verdict on sentencing later today.