A complete shutdown has been announced in Pune district’s Bhor and Rajgad tehsils on Sunday, May 3, following widespread outrage over the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Nasrapur village. A poster calling for a bandh has rapidly circulated across social media platforms, urging traders, shopkeepers, transport operators, and local residents to suspend all activities in protest. Citizens have been asked to come together and demand justice for the child while pressing authorities to impose the harshest punishment on the accused. The bandh call reflects the growing anger and grief that has spread throughout the region after the horrifying crime came to light.
Residents and local organisations have appealed for large-scale participation in the shutdown to demonstrate solidarity with the victim’s family and intensify pressure on authorities. Protest messages shared online contain emotional slogans demanding capital punishment for the accused, highlighting the depth of public fury. The accused, identified as 65-year-old Bhimrao Kamble, a daily wage labourer from Nasrapur, was arrested on May 2. According to police officials and statements made by political leaders, Kamble has a criminal history and had earlier served jail time in cases linked to sexual offences involving minors. He was later produced before a Judicial Magistrate First Class court, which remanded him to police custody until May 7.
Police investigations revealed that the crime occurred on May 1 when the child, who had come to stay with her grandmother during the holidays, disappeared while playing outside her home. CCTV footage reportedly captured the accused taking the girl towards a cattle shed after allegedly luring her by promising to show her a calf. Investigators suspect the child was sexually assaulted inside the shed before being murdered. Officials said the accused allegedly struck her on the head with a stone and later concealed the body beneath a heap of cow dung. The family located the child’s body later in the evening after carrying out a desperate search across the village.
The incident sparked massive protests in the area soon after details of the crime emerged. Hundreds of angry villagers gathered outside the Rajgad police station on Friday night and staged a blockade on the Mumbai-Bengaluruhighway for several hours. On May 2, Nasrapur observed a complete shutdown, with educational institutions and commercial establishments remaining closed. Authorities deployed additional police personnel to manage the tense situation and safely escort the accused to court. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered that the matter be heard in a fast-track court and announced that a special public prosecutor will be appointed to ensure a speedy trial.
Police have registered a case under sections related to rape and murder along with provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Forensic experts have completed an inspection of the crime scene, and investigators are continuing to question the accused to uncover further details surrounding the incident. Officials are also examining whether anyone else may have been involved or had knowledge of the crime. The case has drawn attention across Maharashtra, with citizens, activists, and political leaders demanding immediate justice and strict punishment. Authorities said the investigation remains active and is being monitored closely at multiple levels.