Neighbour arrested for luring, assaulting and killing 9-year-old in Pune village

Authorities in Pune district have taken a 25-year-old daily-wage labourer into custody after he was accused of sexually assaulting and killing a nine-and-a-half-year-old girl from Pimpalwandi village. Both the accused and the child lived in the same community, and investigators say the man enticed the girl with a guava before taking her to a sugarcane field where the assault and murder occurred. CCTV evidence and the suspect’s own statements pinpointed the location, and the victim’s body was later retrieved for forensic examination.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar described the incident as "extremely shocking and unfortunate" and pledged to seek a fast-track court hearing. Superintendent of police Sandip Singh Gill confirmed the case has been registered and that the probe continues, while the state government promised support for the grieving family.