Pune Sessions Court Sentences Man To Life Imprisonment For Murder Of 13-Year-Old Kabaddi Player
Pune Sessions Court Sentences Man To Life Imprisonment For Murder Of 13-Year-Old Kabaddi Player
Pune, December 18, 2025: A Pune sessions court on Wednesday sentenced a man to rigorous life imprisonment for the murder of a 13-year-old schoolgirl who was attacked while practising kabaddi at a playground in Bibwewadi in October 2021. The court declined the prosecution’s request for capital punishment, observing that although the offence was grave and violent, it did not meet the legal threshold of the “rarest of rare” category required for the death penalty.
Additional Sessions Judge S R Salunkhe convicted Shubham alias Rushikesh Bajirao Bhagwat under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and imposed a fine of ₹5,000. In the event of non-payment, the convict will undergo six months of simple imprisonment.
The case had drawn strong public reaction at the time, with residents and civic groups expressing concern over the safety of minors, particularly girls, in public spaces across Pune and other parts of Maharashtra.
The victim, a Class 8 student and an aspiring kabaddi player, was practising with her cousin and four other girls on an open ground in Bibwewadi. Although organised coaching had been halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the group continued routine fitness sessions in the evenings between 5 pm and 6.30 pm.
According to the prosecution, Bhagwat had been following the minor for a period prior to the incident. On October 12, 2021, he allegedly attacked her with a sickle during the practice session, accompanied by three children in conflict with law. The girl sustained multiple severe injuries and collapsed at the spot. An FIR was registered at Bibwewadi police station the next day.
Medical evidence presented before the court showed that the child suffered 25 incised wounds. The post-mortem findings, the court noted, clearly established the intent to cause death.
Bhagwat was charged under Sections 302, 120-B and 506 (Part II) read with Section 34 of the IPC, along with provisions of the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act. He pleaded not guilty. During the trial, the prosecution examined nine witnesses and produced medical, forensic and circumstantial evidence. The accused did not present any defence evidence.
Special public prosecutor Hemant Zanjad argued for the death sentence, citing the brutality of the assault and the victim’s age. Defence counsel Yashpal Purohit opposed the plea.
In its order, the court held that the prosecution had conclusively proved the accused’s guilt. However, relying on Supreme Court guidelines on sentencing, Judge Salunkhe stated that life imprisonment remains the norm, with the death penalty reserved for exceptional cases. Consequently, the court awarded life imprisonment without granting a set-off for the period of detention already undergone, meaning the sentence will commence from the date of judgment.
The court also directed that all seized materials, including clothing, the weapon used in the crime and the vehicles involved, be preserved until the completion of proceedings against the juveniles linked to the case.
