Navale Bridge Blockade Triggers Massive Traffic Jam In Pune As Villagers Protest Sexual Assault & Murder Of 4-Year Old

Pune: Traffic movement on the Pune-Bengaluru highway was severely affected for hours on Saturday evening after protesters blocked Navale Bridge in Pune, causing long queues of vehicles stretching up to two kilometres. The blockade was staged by villagers demanding strict action against the accused who have allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered a four-year-old girl in Pune's Bhor taluka. 

Protesters said the victim’s body will not be cremated until justice is delivered and the accused is punished. The protest follows a disturbing incident in Nasrapur village, where a 65-year-old man allegedly murdered the child. The case has sparked widespread outrage, with locals taking to the streets to press for swift action.

Police have now restored normal traffic movement, cleared the blockade, and tightened security in the area.

“It is hereby informed that the road-block protest (Rasta Roko) at Vadgaon Bridge has concluded, and traffic flow on the affected route has been restored. Traffic movement in both directions—from Satara to Mumbai and from Mumbai to Satara—is being resumed in a phased manner. All motorists are requested to strictly adhere to traffic regulations, drive slowly and cautiously, and cooperate with the authorities,” the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police issued a statement later in the evening.

Police have arrested the accused, and a case has been registered based on a complaint by the victim’s family. 

The girl was sexually assaulted and then killed by a 65-year-old man who smashed her head with a rock. The Pune Rural Police have arrested the accused, and an FIR has been lodged by the victim’s mother. The case has been registered under multiple sections pertaining to sexual assault, as well as various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The girl hailed from Pune City and was visiting her maternal grandparents for the summer holidays. While she was playing in the yard, she was lured with food and take to a cattle shed where she was sexually assaulted and killing with a rock.

The case came to light when the body of the victim was discovered under a pile of cattle fodder. CCTV footage was subsequently recovered, showing the man leading the young girl away. 

The incident has sent shockwaves across the state, prompting a statement from Chief Minister Fadnavis.

"The incident that occurred in Pune is highly condemnable and tragic. A three or three-and-a-half-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and murdered by a 65-year-old man. The accused has been arrested. The people are angry following this incident. I assure you that we will take up the case in a fast-track court. I would like to request the High Court to grant us a special public prosecutor, and we will demand capital punishment in court," the Chief Minister said.

A complete shutdown was observed in Nasrapur Village in Bhor Taluka, Pune. Villagers demanded that the accused be handed over to them so they could deliver justice themselves.

According to reports provided by Pune Rural SP Sandeep Singh Gill, the accused was arrested within an hour of the complaint being lodged. He was a daily-wage worker who worked in the village and adjacent areas. Notably, the accused has a prior criminal record, including a sexual harassment case and a 2015 POCSO case. The accused was presented before the Pune court, which granted police custody until May 7 to facilitate further investigation into the case.

ALSO READ: Pune Sexual Assault Case: 4-Year-Old Lured With Food, Killed With Rock; Accused in Custody Till May 7