Pune, 20th August 2026: A shocking incident of sexual assault and murder of a 10-year-old girl has been reported from Pimpalwandi village in Junnar taluka, Pune district. Alephata Police have arrested a 25-year-old man in connection with the case.
The girl had not attended school on Tuesday, August 18, as she was unwell. According to the police, the accused allegedly took advantage of the absence of her parents and lured her to a farm near a stream by offering her guava.
The accused allegedly sexually assaulted the girl and killed her at the spot.
When the girl was found missing from home, her family members and villagers began searching for her. After she could not be found, a missing-person complaint was registered at Alephata Police Station.
During the search operation, the accused allegedly joined the family and police and pretended to help locate the girl. Police became suspicious of his behaviour and took him into custody.
During questioning, police said the accused confessed to the crime and led investigators to a spot near a tree beside a stream, where the girl's body was found.
A forensic team examined the crime scene and carried out the necessary investigation, Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill said at a press conference on Wednesday.
The accused was produced before the Junnar court on Wednesday. The court remanded him to 13 days of police custody.
Police officials, including Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Dhananjay Patil and Police Inspector Vishwas Jadhav, visited the crime scene following the incident.
The incident sparked anger among local residents, who demanded that the accused be tried in a fast-track court and given the strictest possible punishment. Former MLA Atul Benke and villagers also demanded swift action against the accused.
Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill assured the villagers that the investigation would be completed quickly and that the chargesheet would be filed in court within 15 days.
The victim's post-mortem examination was conducted at Sassoon General Hospital in Pune. Her last rites were later performed amid a sombre atmosphere under police security.
