Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 5 : Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has condemned the horrific rape and murder of a 4-year-old girl in Pune, calling it an "extremely unfortunate event." Shinde emphasised the gravity of the crime, stating that the accused, described as habitual offenders, should face the death penalty.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Shinde said, "The atrocity has been committed against a 4-year-old girl. The accused have no right to live. They are habitual offenders who should be given the death penalty."
He further added that the Chief Minister is personally overseeing the case and that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to expedite the investigation. "The government is also trying to do the same... The Chief Minister is monitoring this case. An SIT has been formed... The government will request the court to award him the death penalty...", he said.
On Sunday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant questioned the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government over the alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old girl, asking, "Where are they taking Maharashtra?"
Speaking with the media, he expressed stern criticism towards the heinous crime and alleged that the state has been "tarnished by atrocities." He added that while the law will take action, the loss is irreparable.
"I am very, very distressed. There is anger, too. Before the elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party had given a sloganWhere have you taken Maharashtra? Where are they taking Maharashtra? It's being tarnished by atrocities, by rapes, by thefts, and by corruption. Immorality... It's being tarnished by people who create hatred. I didn't understand this... why like this? What values does Maharashtra have? We take the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. May 1st was Maharashtra Day. Today is the 2nd. Within two days, so many incidents have occurred, and even four days before that, another incident happened. They killed a child like that," he said.
"The law will take action, of course, but what then? My child is gone, right? Think as if it were your own child, then you will realise what the pain is. It feels very bad," he added.
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. The police said that the accused has two similar cases against him, as per Pune Rural Police SP Sandeep Singh Gill.
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.
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