Pune-Satara Highway Traffic Resumes After Four-Hour Protest Over Nasrapur Child Murder
Narhe, 2nd May 2026: A wave of outrage has swept across Maharashtra following the horrific alleged sexual assault and murder of a four-year-old girl by a 65-year-old man in Nasrapur, located in the Bhor taluka of Pune district. Demanding the death penalty for the accused, enraged villagers and citizens took to the streets today, staging a massive protest at Pune’s Navale Bridge that brought Mumbai-Bangalore highway traffic to a standstill.
The young victim had come to her maternal grandparents’ house in Nasrapur for the holidays. According to reports, the accused lured the innocent child by promising to “show her a calf” and took her to a cowshed, on Friday. He then brutally assaulted and murdered her, subsequently concealing her lifeless body under a heap of cow dung in the shed. The gruesome crime came to light after CCTV footage surfaced, showing the accused leading the child toward the cowshed.
The shocking revelation triggered severe backlash from the local community. Seeking immediate justice, locals staged a ‘Rasta Roko’ (road blockade) at Navale Bridge, leading to a massive traffic jam on the crucial Mumbai-Satara highway. The blockade lasted for approximately four hours.
Tensions escalated during the agitation as protesters accused the police of using excessive force to clear the traffic jam. Demonstrators expressed severe resentment, alleging that police personnel grabbed the victim’s grieving father by the collar and forcefully pushed him aside. This alleged manhandling further infuriated the crowd. “We are here demanding justice, but the police are using force against us,” a protester stated.
Traffic Restored
Late in the evening, the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic Branch, Pune City, issued a traffic advisory at 10:30 PM. The administration confirmed that the road blockade near Vadgaon Bridge had been called off and vehicular movement was being restored.
According to the advisory, traffic on both the Satara-to-Mumbai and Mumbai-to-Satara routes is being resumed in phases. The traffic police have urged all drivers to adhere to traffic rules, drive cautiously, and cooperate with the administration.
