Mumbai, June 29: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar on Monday welcomed the special court’s decision to award the death penalty to the accused in the rape and murder of a 3-year-old girl in Nasrapur in Pune. They emphasised that the swift verdict sends a clear signal that the state maintains a strict policy of zero tolerance against crimes targeting women and children.

Expressing satisfaction with the verdict, CM Fadnavis stated that the court made the right decision. “Monsters who commit such heinous acts have absolutely no right to live in society. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the honourable court,” he remarked.

The CM personally dialled Pune District Superintendent of Police and Special Public Prosecutor Ajay Misar to congratulate them on securing a conviction. He highly praised the law enforcement and investigative agencies for conducting the entire trial and investigation in a record time frame.

Speaking to reporters, Dy CM Shinde issued a stern warning to criminals, asserting that the state will offer no safe haven to perpetrators of violence.

“This verdict ensures that justice has been served. It acts as a clear and explicit warning to anyone who dares to commit such atrocious crimes against women and children,” he stated. He added that such criminals have no place in a society governed by the rule of law and do not deserve the right to live.

Shinde reiterated that the Mahayuti government, under the leadership of CM Fadnavis, places the safety and security of women at its top priority.

“The state remains strictly committed to ensuring rapid investigations, fast-track judicial trials, and maximum legal punishment. Enhanced measures are continually being introduced to ensure every woman and girl child can live in a secure environment,” he added.

Shinde concluded by stating that the prompt sentencing in the Nasrapur case has successfully restored a sense of justice among the public.

Dy CM Sunetra Pawar said the verdict has ensured justice for the victim and her family while reinforcing public faith in the judiciary.

Referring to the case of the minor girl from Nasrapur in Pune district, who was sexually assaulted and brutally murdered, Pawar said the court had sentenced the accused, Bhimrao Kamble, to death. She noted that the case was decided within just two months of the incident, making it the first such case to be concluded in such a short span.

“There is no place in society for such a cruel and depraved individual. This verdict has reinforced the deterrent effect of the law, and such hardened criminals will think twice before committing similar offences,” she said.

She also expressed confidence that the government and investigating agencies would continue to stand firmly behind victims to ensure justice for innocent girls and women. She appreciated the efforts of the prosecution, saying the lawyers had handled the case effectively and deserved recognition for their work.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to the safety of women, girls and children, she said the state would take the strictest possible measures to strengthen their security.

She added that the government stood firmly with the victim’s family in their grief and would work with society to ensure that such incidents do not recur. She also thanked the Pune Rural Police for acting swiftly in the case by constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and ensuring that justice was delivered to the victim.

New Delhi, June 29: A Delhi court on Monday extended till July 11 the judicial custody of 10 accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The accused were produced before the Rouse Avenue Court through video conferencing on the expiry of their earlier judicial custody.

The court extended the judicial custody of Yash Yadav, Mangilal Biwal, Dinesh Biwal, Vikas Biwal, Dhananjay Lokhande, Tejas Harshad Shah, Shubham Khairnar, Manisha Waghmare, Manisha Sanjay Havaldar and Dr Manoj Shirure till July 11.

Earlier, on June 15, the Rouse Avenue Court had extended the judicial custody of the 10 accused till June 29. The court had also permitted the CBI to interrogate accused Shubham Khairnar, Manisha Waghmare and Dhananjay Lokhande inside jail on June 17, 18 and 19, respectively, for one hour each as part of the ongoing investigation.

The CBI has so far arrested 13 accused in the case and is investigating an alleged network involved in procuring and circulating NEET-UG question papers ahead of the examination.

According to the probe agency, Latur-based doctor Manoj Shirure played a key role in facilitating three students, including the son of an accused coaching centre owner, in obtaining Chemistry questions from alleged kingpin P.V. Kulkarni before the examination.

Tejas Harshad Shah, a Physics faculty member at Pune-based Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy (APMA), is alleged to have received leaked Physics questions from co-accused Manisha Sanjay Havaldar.

The CBI has further alleged that Pune-based education consultant Manisha Waghmare acted as an intermediary in mobilising students who allegedly paid lakhs of rupees to attend special coaching sessions where questions that later appeared in the NEET-UG 2026 examination were dictated and discussed.

According to the probe agency, Waghmare facilitated prospective candidates for special coaching classes conducted by NTA-appointed senior Botany teacher Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, who is suspected to be the co-mastermind behind the Biology paper leak, while Chemistry professor P.V. Kulkarni has been identified as the alleged kingpin of the paper leak network.

The CBI registered the case on May 12 based on a written complaint received from the Department of Higher Education under the Union Ministry of Education.

Following registration of the FIR, special teams were constituted and searches were carried out at multiple locations across the country. Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency (NTA) successfully conducted the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination on June 21 after the original examination was cancelled amid concerns over alleged irregularities.

More than 20 lakh medical aspirants appeared for the re-examination at 5,440 centres across India and 14 centres abroad.

Nearly 7 lakh personnel, including examination staff, police personnel, observers and administrative officials, were deployed to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination.

More than 95,000 examination rooms were monitored through over 1.38 lakh CCTV cameras, while over 51,000 signal jammers were installed to prevent electronic malpractice.

The re-examination was conducted under extensive security measures, including Aadhaar-based biometric verification, facial authentication, two-layer frisking, real-time surveillance and command-and-control centre monitoring, aimed at ensuring transparency and preserving the integrity of one of the country’s largest entrance examinations.

Pune, June 29: A sessions court in Maharashtra pronounced a death sentence on Monday for 65-year-old Bhimrao Kamble, who was convicted last week for the rape and murder of a three-year-old girl in Pune’s Nasrapur last month.

Pune District and Sessions Court Judge S.R. Salunkhe awarded capital punishment to the convict.

The prosecution had cited 12 key Supreme Court judgments regarding such cases in its arguments, including that this case falls within the category of “rarest of rare” cases defined by the Supreme Court.

Considering the nature of the crime and the brutality involved, the judge, while convicting Kamble, had remarked that the accused does not deserve any leniency or a lighter sentence.

The judge also stated that the injuries found on the victim’s body were sufficient to prove the brutality of the act.

Taking into account a previous sexual assault case against Kamble, the court noted that he is aware of the law and showed no remorse for his actions throughout the trial.

The verdict was delivered within two months of the incident, which occurred on May 1.

The police had filed the charge sheet within 15 days of the incident. Charges were framed on May 28, and final arguments concluded on June 21.

In a chilling reminder of the growing insecurity being faced by the most vulnerable members of our society, the Bhor Taluka region of Pune was rocked by a crime of unimaginable cruelty on May 1. The 65-year-old sexually assaulted and brutally murdered a three-year-old girl, reportedly ending her life by crushing her with a stone.

The incident came to light when the girl went missing in the afternoon, and her family started a frantic search. During the search, her mutilated and bloodied body was discovered.

CCTV footage from the area showed Kamble taking the toddler along, which helped police identify and detain him.