Pune: College Girl Killed After Assault Attempt, Accused Arrested
Khed, 15th April 2025: In a deeply disturbing incident from Khed taluka, a college-going girl was brutally murdered after an attempted sexual assault. The 29-year-old accused, who initially fled the scene, has now been arrested by the police. He allegedly lured the victim under the pretext of dropping her home, but instead took her to an isolated spot where he attacked and killed her.
The accused has been identified as Navnath Manjare, who was produced in court and remanded to nine days of police custody, confirmed Senior Inspector Prabhakar More. The victim was a Class 11 student enrolled at a college in Rajgurunagar.
According to the police, the crime took place on April 11, when the girl left college mid-morning. Manjare, offering her a lift, diverted the route to a sugarcane field near Manjarewadi, claiming he needed to water his farm. There, he allegedly attempted to sexually assault her. When she resisted, he struck her with a stone, killing her on the spot. He then dragged her body to the Bhima River and disposed of it.
When the girl was reported missing, Inspector More, Assistant Inspector Snehal Raje, and their team launched an investigation. Despite committing the crime, Manjare reportedly tried to behave as if nothing had happened—attending a local fair and working at his family’s shop. He even spread misleading information in the village, claiming he had heard screams near his farm but did not check due to fear.
Based on technical leads and local inputs, police detained Manjare for questioning. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime.
The girl’s engagement ceremony was scheduled for April 13. Her family, busy with preparations, was unaware of the tragedy until the police confirmed her murder. The news has cast a pall of grief over the village, prompting widespread outrage and demands for the harshest punishment for the accused.
The victim’s funeral was held amid tight police security due to the emotional unrest among villagers.
