Bandh observed in Bhor, Rajgad after Nasrapur incident

Pune: Residents of Bhor and Rajgad observed a bandh on Sunday to protest the alleged rape-murder of a three-year-old girl in Nasrapur village, demanding stringent action against the 65-year-old accused who has been arrested. Shops remained shut in both towns as a mark of protest.Calling the incident "heinous", residents said public anger was widespread. "We kept our shops closed as a mark of protest and demand the strictest possible punishment for the accused," said Pravin More, a Bhor resident.Another Bhor resident, Rahul Shinde, said such incidents tend to fade from public memory. "There must be concrete action to ensure no one dares to commit such crimes in future," he said.Tension prevailed across Pune district, with political parties and social organisations staging protests at several locations. A group of activists attempted to block traffic at the Khed Shivapur toll plaza, but police intervened. Workers of Shiv Sena and NCP (SP) also held demonstrations separately in Pune city, demanding capital punishment for the accused.Police said the arrested accused is a 65-year-old labourer from the village and a habitual offender in child abuse cases. On Saturday night, protesters along with the victim's family blocked the Mumbai–Bengaluru highway near Wadgaon Bridge for over four hours, seeking assurance of strict action from state govt.On Sunday, the victim's father said in a video message that the family would not meet any politician until the accused is awarded the death penalty. Several leaders, including NCP (SP)'s Rohit Pawar, BJP's Medha Kulkarni and Shiv Sena's Neelam Gorhe, had already visited the family in the morning, while others, including minister Madhuri Misal and Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, cancelled their visits following the family's appeal.Kulkarni criticised the police for allegedly resorting to lathicharge on Saturady night to disperse protesters at Wadgaon Bridge. "There are videos of the lathicharge, and that should not have happened," she said. Congress state president Harshwardhan Sapkal also condemned the action, stating: "Trying to suppress the voices of those demanding justice through the police machinery does not befit the person sitting in the Chief Minister's chair."Rohit Pawar alleged that the child rights commission and the state women's commission had not intervened in the matter. He urged govt to ensure a speedy trial, appoint competent legal representation, and secure the death penalty for the accused, as demanded by the victim's family.Gorhe stressed the need to increase the number of fast-track courts for crimes against women. She said only around 40 of the proposed 138 courts are operational and added that she would follow up with CM Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CM Eknath Shinde to expedite the process.Some elements trying to spin events: CMFadnavis on Sunday, while reacting to questions about the alleged lathicharge by Pune police during protests at Wadgaon Bridge late on Saturday night, said some elements had been trying to prevent the victim's family from leaving the site even after they had agreed to disperse.He said the crime had triggered widespread public anger, which was understandable, but cautioned against attempts to "misuse the situation". "The incident is serious and the anger of people is natural. However, some people were trying to take advantage of the situation and give it a different spin," he told reporters in Nagpur on Sunday.The CM said he had personally spoken to the victim's father and assured him that govt would make all efforts to secure the death penalty for the accused. He added that a written assurance had also been given to the family.Fadnavis said the case would be tried in a fast-track court and that govt would expedite all legal procedures. "While everyone wants the accused to be hanged publicly, such things cannot be done in a democratic system, as it functions according to the law," he said.