Dahi handi 2019: Man kidnaps, sexually abuses and smashes head of minor

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On a petty dispute of Dahi handi between a stepfather and a suspect, a two and a half-year-old child was kidnapped, sexually abused, bitten multiple and her head was smashed due to which she succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment.

In this regard, the Bund Garden police have arrested Pratamesh Balu Gaikwad (19). The incident took place between Monday afternoon and wee hours of Tuesday. A case has been filed by the victim's mother at Bund Garden police station and a case has been registered under the relevant section of Indian Penal Code as well as under Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act. Initially, the case was registered at Government Railway police and later was transferred to Bund Garden police station.

The incident took place at Maladakkha chowk where the girl stayed with her mother and step-father on the street.

Speaking to mid-day, the victim's mother said, "My daughter was Lord Laxmi for me and very dear to me. She used to help me with work and I had hoped that I will educate her. On Monday she went missing and we approached Railway police who asked us to approach Railway protection force and they asked us to approach Pune police. We were running from pillar to post but knew that that police are not for us as we are poor."

She added, "Later, I was searching her in with my husband who is the step-father of the girl and relatives. We found her body in a train bogie at platform no 5. We rushed to Sassoon General Hospital and while treatment she died."

Senior inspector Sunil Tambe in charge of Bund Garden police station said, "We have arrested Pratamesh based on the few leads which we got during investigation and it seemed that the family of the victim has fought with him on Dahi Handi issue because of which he kidnapped the victim, took her to isolated area on the railway platform in a bogie, bit her multiple times on her face and later smashed her head on some hard object. Later he threw her body in the bogie. We are probing. On sexually abuse, the post mortem report is awaited for an expert report."

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