The sexual assault and murder of a four-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Pune district has sparked outrage and protests, with protestors demanding strict action against the accused.
A 65-year-old labourer allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered the minor girl in a village in Bhor tehsil, police said.
The accused allegedly lured the child with the promise of food and took her to a shed in a cattle enclosure, where he sexually assaulted her and killed her, according to police.
The girl's relatives began looking for her after she went missing, and a CCTV footage captured the accused with the child, leading to his arrest.
The accused had two similar cases registered against him, including a POCSO case in 2015, and was subsequently acquitted in both instances.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state government will demand capital punishment against the accused and take up the case in a fast-track court.
NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule questioned the accused's release in the previous cases against him, while Maharashtra deputy CM Sunetra Pawar met the family of the minor girl and assured them of strict action in the case.
Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal criticised the state government, demanding the resignation of Fadnavis as home minister.
