Pune: Man Gets Life Sentence For Stabbing Minor Kabaddi Player To Death
Pune, 17th December 2025: A local court has sentenced a 22-year-old man to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹5,000 for the murder of a 15-year-old national-level kabaddi player after she rejected his one-sided romantic advances.
Additional District and Sessions Judge S.R. Salunkhe delivered the verdict, convicting Shubham alias Rishikesh Bajirao Bhagtal. The case was registered at Bibwewadi police station based on a complaint filed by the victim’s cousin.
The incident occurred on October 12, 2021, at Yash Lawns in Bibwewadi. The victim, a Class 8 student and the only child of her parents, had reportedly refused to speak to the accused and rejected his advances. Enraged by her refusal, the accused attacked her with a knife, stabbing her repeatedly.
The prosecution told the court that the accused inflicted more than 20 stab wounds on the victim. The post-mortem report confirmed 25 incised injuries on her body. During the trial, the prosecution examined 12 witnesses, including eyewitnesses who identified the accused in court and gave consistent accounts of the incident.
Special Public Prosecutor Advocate Hemant Zanjad argued that the crime was extremely brutal and warranted the maximum punishment. However, the court observed that while the offence was heinous, it did not fall under the “rarest of rare” category that would justify the death penalty. The court noted that life imprisonment is the rule and capital punishment an exception.
Accordingly, the court sentenced the accused to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹5,000.
