Pune (Maharashtra), Dec 26: In a shocking case, the Pune Police have arrested a 54-year-old man for the alleged kidnapping, rape and murder of two minor girls in the Rajgurunagar area of the city.

The man, identified as Ajay Das, is accused of committing the heinous double crime with the two siblings aged nine and eight before he absconded, said a police official.

The dual crime occurred on Wednesday when the two girls were playing outside their home around noon, but later suddenly ‘disappeared’.

The family, which was keeping an eye on them, started a frantic search in the vicinity but failed to trace them and finally in the evening lodged a complaint with the Khed Police Station.

Responding promptly, Police Inspector Prabhakar More formed teams to launch a system effort to trace the two missing sisters but did not get any clues.

Late in the night, around 10.30 p.m., the police and the family inspected the two siblings’ room on the upper floors of their building and made the shocking discovery.

The two girls’ bodies were found at Das’ home, in a huge drum filled with water, with their heads below and their feet up, pointing at murder by forcible drowning.

As the discovery created a sensation in the vicinity, the case was handed over to a woman Investigation Officer Snehal Raje, said the officials, while the victims’ bodies were sent to the Sassoon Hospital in Pune for autopsies.

Cracking the whip, the Khed Police launched a manhunt for Das and apprehended him from his hideout in a shady lodging house early in the day (December 26) as he was packing up and preparing to flee out of Maharashtra.

This morning the grieving families along with other relatives, staged a sit-in dharna outside the police station, demanding that the culprit should be given the noose, and refused to accept the bodies of the two little girls.

As per preliminary questioning, Das is understood to have confessed to the double crime and also admitted that he had to kill them to suppress the matter secretly and also prevent them from screaming or attracting attention.

Although the accused was arrested by the police, the girls’ relatives gathered at the Rajgurunagar police station, saying they would not take possession of the bodies till they got justice.

The brutal kidnap-rape-double murder has evoked strong reactions from Nationalist Congress Party (SP) Working President and MLA Rohit R. Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut and Kishore Tiwari and local Congress leaders, who slammed the ruling Mahayuti for what they termed as ‘utter failure on the law-and-order front’.

Thane, Dec 26: A couple has been arrested in connection with the abduction, rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl in Maharashtra’s Thane district.

Coming barely after the Badlapur sexual assault on two nursery class girls in August, this is the second case that has sparked outrage with people demanding the noose for the alleged perpetrators – Vishal Gawli, 35 and his wife Sakshi Gawli, 25.

Vishal Gawli is accused of kidnapping the girl from near her home, where she was playing on Monday, taking her to his house, assaulting, raping, killing and then dumping her body near a cemetery in the neighbouring Bhiwandi town, some 8 kilometres away.

He was spotted purchasing liquor in a restaurant-cum-bar CCTV footage, and the Thane Police formed six teams to hunt him down, finally nabbing him on Wednesday (December 25) with the help of Buldhana Police.

A team of Kalyan Police which has registered the case, took custody of Vishal Gawli from Shegaon Police in Buldhana where his in-laws reside, while his wife Sakshi, who was said to be a party to the heinous crime, was nabbed from outside her house in Kalyan.

The Shegaon Police zeroed in on Vishal Gawli after he stepped out of a salon where he had gone to change his appearance by shaving off his beard.

They handed him over to the Kolsewadi Police Station in Kalyan town (Thane) on Thursday and is likely to be produced before a Kalyan Magistrate Court later in the day.

Initial probe reveals that he was a history-sheeter in sex crimes, facing three molestation cases involving two women and a minor girl, plus two assault cases, he was released on bail in a POCSO case lodged in August 2023 and had been married thrice, with Sakshi being his third wife.

As the matter assumed political overtones, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to the Thane Superintendent of Police and directed that no efforts should be spared to ensure the death penalty for the accused – both now arrested.

Ruling ally Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde – in whose Lok Sabha constituency – the heinous crime took place, met the victim’s family and assured that the government would ensure that the accused is tried and hanged.

The incident attracted huge flak from the Opposition parties including Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, who said that Thane – the home district of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde – has become a hotbed of gruesome crimes against women and young girls.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has released a yellow alert for various districts in Maharashtra. According to the IMD weather forecast, various districts in Maharashtra are anticipated to experience rain along with thunderstorms and lightning on December 26, 27, and 28.

IMD Predicts Rainfall In Maharashtra

As per reports, the meteorological department has declared a yellow alert for Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Ahilyanagar, Pune, Jalna, Parbhani, Beed, Akola, Amaravati, Buldhana, and Washim from December 26 to December 28. Weather Update Today, December 24: Review Weather Information, Rain Expectations for Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.

Areas Under Yellow Alert

Areas like Khandesh, Marathwada, and Vidarbha will be especially impacted. Farmers are recommended to keep updated on weather predictions and modify their strategies as needed. The meteorological department forecasts overcast conditions with light rainfall starting on December 26th throughout Maharashtra. On the 27th, rain with thunderstorms is anticipated in Khandesh (Nashik division), central Maharashtra (Pune division), North Marathwada, and regions of western Vidarbha.

Weather Prediction For Agriculturalists

The next day, December 28th, additional rain accompanied by thunderstorms is expected in Khandesh, the northern parts of Marathwada, and specific regions of Vidarbha. The Agriculture Department has recommended that farmers in these areas stay attentive to weather reports and adjust their farming practices accordingly. Grasping these weather variations is vital for farmers to safeguard their crops and minimize possible harm. The prediction shows differing amounts of rainfall in various regions, with thunderstorms potentially requiring protective actions for crops that are still growing, since the farming process could be negatively affected.

Farmers are urged to keep informed about daily forecasts and take appropriate measures to protect their crops. The Agriculture Department will persist in offering guidance and updates to help farmers manage these evolving circumstances effectively.