The Bhor taluka court has framed charges against the accused in the murder of a child in Nasrapur village, Pune district, within 28 days of the incident. The trial will be held daily in camera, after the court noted prima facie evidence from the investigation.

On May 1, a child who had come to her grandmother’s house for summer vacation was playing outside her home. The accused took her to a cowshed, saying he would show her a calf. There, he allegedly raped her and killed her with a stone. He allegedly hid the body under a pile of cow dung.

The family began a search when the child did not return by the afternoon. The body was found in the cowshed. CCTV footage from 3:30 p.m. showed the accused leading the child to the cowshed. Villagers caught the accused and handed him to the police.

The police filed a chargesheet in 15 days. A sexual examination report and CCTV footage were presented to the court. The accused’s lawyers opposed the framing of charges during his first production. The court, after verifying the evidence, framed charges against him.

When the judge asked the accused about the case, he said it was a minor matter of fighting. The statement drew a reaction in the courtroom. Police investigation has revealed two similar cases against the accused in the past. He was acquitted in those cases due to lack of evidence, according to reports.