The brutal rape-murder of a four-year-old girl in Nasrapur on May 1, when the whole state was celebrating Maharashtra Day, has triggered outrage, with citizens questioning the government over its assurances whenever such gory incidents happen; echoes of the Kopardi case linger as families wait for justice despite the death sentences awarded to the culprits a decade ago

The horrific rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Nasarapur by 65-year-old Bhimrao Kamble has shaken Maharashtra to its core. The accused has confessed to his crime and has been remanded in police custody till May 7.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar visited the grieving family, and promised that the case would be tried in a fast-track court.

But for many citizens, the phrase 'fast track' has become synonymous not with speed, but with hollow assurances. The shadow of Kopardi looms large. On July 13, 2016, a minor girl was subjected to brutal sexual assault and murder in that village. Then, too, the government promised swift justice, pledging that the trial would conclude within a month.

Technically, the fast track court did deliver - in 2017, within a year, all three culprits of the ghastly crime in Kopardi were sentenced to death. However, ten years have passed, and not a single execution has taken place. The case moved to the Bombay High Court, where it has remained pending since 2017. In 2023, one of the convicts died by suicide, while the remaining two continue to live in the Yerawada jail, sustained by the state, receiving meals daily at public expense.

This painful contrast between promises and outcomes has left citizens sceptical. For the Nasarapur family, assurances of fast-track justice feel like déjà vu - words repeated, wounds reopened. The anguish is not only about the crime itself, but about the system's inability to deliver closure.

The emotional weight of the Nasarapur tragedy is immense. A child's life was cut short in the most brutal manner, a family shattered, and a community left fearful and enraged. The government's vow to pursue the case until the perpetrator is hanged is meant to reassure, but the Kopardi precedent makes people ask: Will justice truly be swift, or will it be another decade of waiting?

Questions unanswered in Kopardi case

On July 13 this year, it will be ten years since the Kopardi incident. The question that arises - was the death penalty implemented with the same speed as the much-publicised fast track trial? After the Nasarapur tragedy, this question has become even sharper. Even if the High Court delivers its verdict, the convicts can appeal in the Supreme Court, where another 10-20 years may pass. So when will the victim's family actually receive justice?

The Nasrapur accused had previously committed offences of molestation in 1998 and 2015, but escaped punishment. Police investigations have confirmed that, despite his age, his predatory behaviour never changed.

Politicos arrive, victim's father rejects assurances

After the Nasrapur incident, many political leaders have been visiting the victim's family, offering repeated assurances of justice. However, the victim's father strongly objected to these visits and, in harsh words, stopped them right at the doorstep.

Even after the victim's father made it clear that no politician should visit until justice is delivered, leaders continued to arrive at the family's doorstep. MLA Rohit Pawar met the bereaved family at their Dhayari home, attempting to console them in their grief. Pawar assured the family that society must pursue this case until the perpetrator is hanged, and pledged to follow it through to the very end.

He also raised a wider concern: Maharashtra still lacks a Shakti Act to deter crimes against women and children. Pawar argued that without such a law, predators feel no fear of consequences. Unless the government urgently enacts strong legislation, he warned, more innocent lives will be crushed before they can bloom - and the responsibility will rest squarely on the state.

Former MLA Medha Kulkarni also visited the family. Speaking to the media afterwards, she demanded that the accused be sentenced to death and that negligence in handling his earlier offences be investigated.

The predator's disturbing past

Villagers have revealed shocking details about Bhimrao Kamble's history of abuse. According to locals, he was long known for his perverse behaviour. Allegations include sexual abuse of goats and even his own daughter. He is also accused of raping a 65-year-old woman in the village and of repeatedly harassing women working in the fields. Many of these incidents never came to light due to the fear of social stigma.

This disturbing record paints a picture of a man whose predatory instincts were ignored for decades, allowing him to continue unchecked until the Nasrapur tragedy. Villagers are now demanding the harshest punishment, insisting that only a death sentence can deliver justice and prevent further horrors.

Funeral held under police security

The grief and anger over the Nasrapur tragedy erupted into a dramatic protest on Saturday evening. Demanding the harshest punishment for the accused, villagers and activists placed the child's body on the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway, blocking traffic completely from around 5 p.m. The highway remained paralysed for nearly four hours.

As night fell, police struggled to disperse the crowd. Eventually, force was used to clear the road at Navale Bridge. Protesters alleged a lathi charge, criticising the administration for suppressing their agitation. However, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar denied this, stating that no baton charge took place. He insisted that officers had persuaded the grieving parents to leave peacefully, and that the family was assured of swift justice.