Pune: In a shocking incident, a two-and-half-year-old girl kidnapped on Saturday night from inside her house was found murdered in Vadgaon Khurd on Sunday morning.
Sinhagad Road police said the medical report of the deceased Shruti Vijay Shivgane confirmed sexual assault.
The police said Vijay Shivgane (31), from Latur, stayed on the ground floor of a building behind Crossover County Society in Vadgaon Khurd, with his wife and daughter. Shivgane and his wife work with a vegetable vendor. He also works as a waiter.
As per Shivgane’s complaint, on Saturday his wife Vidya (25) was at home due to holiday for Bhau Beej. Shivgane returned home from the hotel at 3.30 pm. “My wife’s maternal uncle Keshav Bhagwanrao Deshmukh from Kavalgaon in Parbhani district came to our house at 8.30 pm. My daughter went to sleep at 9 pm. Myself and Deshmukh had dinner at 10 pm and I went to sleep at 10.30 pm. My wife woke me up at 11.45 pm saying Shruti is missing. She told me she chatted with her uncle till 11 pm and then went to sleep next to her. But when she woke up at 11.45 pm, Shruti was missing,” Shivgane stated.
He said, “Shruti was not in the house. The sliding window was half open and the door open. On hearing our commotion, Deshmukh woke up. We searched for Shruti near our house but could not find her. My wife informed the police control room at 12.30. The police came and we again searched but in vain.”
The police said a nakabandi was imposed. At 6 am on Sunday, a local resident spotted Shruti’s body in the open space behind Prayeja City apartment complex, about 500 metres from her house.
“Preliminary medical report points to sexual assault and death due to strangulation,” a police officer told Sakal Times.
The police registered an FIR. Police Inspector (Crime) Baban Khodade, who is investigating the case, said, “We have started our investigation and are questioning some people. Someone opened the door latch after sliding open the window and then kidnapped the minor girl.”
