Govt will seek death penalty, fast-track trial in Pune child rape-murder case: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Nagpur: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday assured that the government will push for a death penalty for the accused in the Pune child rape-murder case, asserting that the state will fast-track the trial to ensure justice in "record time".

A 65-year-old man with a criminal record was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting and murdering a child in Bhor tehsil of Pune district on May 1. The incident triggered massive outrage in the Bhor area, with hundreds of villagers staging a protest demanding action against the accused.

It has also drawn sharp criticism from leaders of the opposition parties, who have slammed the government over law and order in the state and demanded strict action against the accused.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Nagpur, the chief minister said he spoke to the family of the four-year-old victim and assured them of full cooperation.

"I spoke twice to the father of the victim, and I have told him that we will work towards getting capital punishment for the accused. Accordingly, we will fast-track the case and complete it in record time," he said.

He said while people feel like hanging accused in public in cases of heinous crimes, it cannot be done in a democracy, which runs by law.

Fadnavis said that the probe into the rape-murder case will be watertight so that there are no loopholes that can be misused later, and the state government will take all efforts to ensure capital punishment for the accused.

He said that the government has also written to the victim's family, assuring them of its support.

Asked about the criticism against the home department, headed by him, over the rising crime graph in the state, Fadnavis said that while the Opposition's job is to criticise, it doesn't introspect about its own failings when it was in power.

"It is laughable that those involved in cash-for-transfers scandals are teaching us about law and order," he said.