02 March 2022 :

The Pune court on 28 February 2022 pronounced the death penalty to a 38-year-old man in a case related to sexual assault and murder of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl. The case was registered at Velha police station of Pune district in February 2021, and it was put on fast-track following orders by Pune rural Superintendent of Police Abhinav Deshmukh.
In the operative part of the order, Principal District Judge (special judge for POCSO cases) Sanjay Deshmukh stated, “The accused Sanjay Baban Katkar is held guilty for the offences punishable under Sections 363 of Indian Penal Code and under Section 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, 235(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and he is sentenced to death for the offence, punishable under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. He shall be hanged by the neck till his death as stated under Section 354(5) of the Code of Criminal Procedure subject to confirmation of the Hon’ble High Court, Bombay, under Section 366 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.”
The child was kidnapped from a village in Pune district and was found dead on the next day in Panshet area of Pune district on 15 February 2021.