Pune: Outrage in Junnar After 10-Year-Old Girl Raped and Murdered by Neighbour

Junnar, 19th August 2026: A 25-year-old man has been arrested for the alleged rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Pimpalwadi village of Junnar tehsil, police said on Wednesday. The accused, a neighbour of the victim, is said to have even joined the search for the missing child before his suspicious behaviour led to his detention.

The Class 4 student, had stayed home on Tuesday as she was unwell. In the afternoon, while her parents were away, the accused allegedly lured her from the house, took her to a nearby sugarcane field on a bicycle, sexually assaulted her and strangled her to death, police said.

When the girl was found missing, relatives and villagers launched a search. A missing complaint was registered at Alephata police station after she could not be located. During the probe, the accused is said to have pretended to assist the police. His movements, however, raised suspicion. Once detained and confronted, he confessed and led officers to a stream near a tree in the area, where the girl’s body was recovered.

Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandip Gill, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Dhananjay Patil and Inspector Vishwas Jadhav rushed to the spot. A forensic team conducted panchnama; the body has been sent for post-mortem.

The brutal crime has triggered widespread outrage across Junnar tehsil. Villagers and the victim’s family have demanded that the case be tried in a fast-track court and the accused be awarded the death penalty at the earliest.

Police said the accused exploited his familiarity with the family. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.