Pioneer in Short

A special Pune court on Monday sentenced 65-year-old Bhimrao Kamble to death for the kidnapping, rape and murder of a three-year-old girl in Pune district’s Nasrapur village, delivering the verdict within 60 days of the May 1 crime that triggered Statewide outrage. Calling it a “rarest of the rare” case, Additional Sessions Judge S R Salunkhe said the brutal assault and murder of the helpless child reflected “total depravity” and shocked the conscience of both the judiciary and society. Rejecting the defence’s plea for leniency based on the convict’s age, the court said his history of violent offences and continued predatory behaviour made age an aggravating, not mitigating, factor.