Pune Police file POCSO chargesheet in 24 hours after 6-year-old assault
Synopsis
Pune Police filed a POCSO chargesheet within 24 hours of a six-year-old's assault — a rare feat in India's often slow-moving child protection system. The case is being cited as a model for swift POCSO enforcement, even as a separate, more brutal crime in Bhor Taluka has shaken the district.
Key Takeaways
Loni Kalbhor Police Station arrested suspect Shridhar Limbaji Kamble, 46 , and filed a chargesheet within 24 hours of a reported assault on a six-year-old girl in Theur, Pune .
Case registered under Section 74 of BNS 2023 and Sections 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act, 2012 .
In a separate case, Bhimrao Kamble, 65 , stands accused of the sexual assault and murder of a three-year-old girl in Bhor Taluka, Pune .
Post-mortem by Sassoon General Hospital indicates the three-year-old died due to suffocation and severe physical torture , according to the report submitted to police.
Both cases have triggered public unrest and calls for faster judicial response to crimes against children in Pune district .
Pune Police have arrested a suspect and filed a formal chargesheet in court within 24 hours of a reported sexual assault on a six-year-old girl in the Theur area of Haveli Taluka, Pune, setting a rare precedent in the swift handling of child sexual abuse cases under the POCSO Act. The case was registered on 8 May at the Loni Kalbhor Police Station in Maharashtra.
How the Assault Unfolded
According to police reports, the accused, identified as 46-year-old Shridhar Limbaji Kamble, allegedly lured the victim — who was playing in her neighbourhood — by offering her food. He then allegedly committed the sexual assault, exploiting the child's innocence. The victim's mother, upon discovering the crime, immediately filed a formal complaint at the Loni Kalbhor Police Station.
Officers tracked Kamble to his hideout and took him into custody without delay. Recognising the gravity of the offence and the tender age of the victim, the investigative team expedited evidence collection and filed the chargesheet in court within a single day.
Charges Filed Under BNS and POCSO
A case was registered under Section 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, alongside Sections 8 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The filing of a chargesheet within 24 hours bypassed the typical months-long legal timeline, ensuring the accused faces the full weight of the law at the earliest possible stage.
Context: A Separate, Graver Crime in Bhor Taluka
This swift action comes amid a broader wave of public unrest in Pune district, triggered by a separate case of what authorities have described as a crime of
Point of View
But it should be the norm, not the exception. India's POCSO framework mandates expedited trials, yet average chargesheet filing times routinely stretch to weeks or months. The Loni Kalbhor case works precisely because it was treated as an emergency — the question is why that urgency requires a specific trigger rather than being institutionalised. Meanwhile, the Bhor Taluka case exposes a grimmer reality: the most vulnerable victims, toddlers in rural and semi-urban settings, remain dangerously exposed. Swift arrests mean little without equally swift trials and, ultimately, conviction rates that actually deter.
NationPress
9 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What charges have been filed against the accused in the Pune six-year-old assault case?
Shridhar Limbaji Kamble, 46, has been charged under Section 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 and Sections 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act, 2012. The chargesheet was filed in court within 24 hours of the complaint being lodged at Loni Kalbhor Police Station in Pune.
Why is the 24-hour chargesheet filing significant?
Filing a chargesheet within 24 hours is exceptionally rare in Indian criminal proceedings, where the process typically takes weeks or months. It signals a priority-driven investigation and ensures the accused faces legal proceedings without delay, setting a potential benchmark for POCSO cases.
What is the separate Bhor Taluka case in Pune?
In a separate case, 65-year-old Bhimrao Kamble stands accused of the sexual assault and murder of a three-year-old girl in Bhor Taluka, Pune. A preliminary post-mortem report from Sassoon General Hospital indicates the child died due to suffocation and severe physical torture, according to the report submitted to police.
What laws govern child sexual abuse cases in India?
Child sexual abuse cases in India are primarily governed by the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, which provides for stringent punishments and mandates time-bound investigations and trials. Charges may also be filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, which replaced the Indian Penal Code.
How have the Pune cases affected public sentiment?
Both cases have triggered a wave of public unrest in Pune district, with citizens and civil society groups demanding faster police action and judicial response to crimes against children, particularly in semi-urban and rural areas.
