Special Correspondent
Pune: A city court has sentenced a man to four years in prison and imposed a fine of ₹1,000 for abducting a four-year-old girl with the intention of trafficking her into prostitution. The victim, who identified the accused through a video conference during the trial, testified before Additional Sessions Judge S.R. Salunkhe.
The convicted man, Vilas Munjaji Kamble, was found guilty under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including charges related to kidnapping and trafficking minors for exploitation. His co-accused, Sanjay alias Raju Vishwakarma, was acquitted.
The crime took place on June 4, 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The victim’s family, who lived under a flyover near Swargate bus stand and earned a livelihood by exchanging utensils for old clothes, noticed their daughter missing around 1:30 a.m. They immediately reported the disappearance to the Swargate police station.
The police swiftly launched a search operation, circulating the child’s photograph and description on social media while urging the public to provide leads. The image was shared in a WhatsApp group by Mayur Bhagwat. Later that day, at around 3:40 p.m., group member Vinayak Shinde, while riding home after his shift, noticed a man with a child resembling the missing girl near a stall at Sonori Phata. Upon verifying the photograph, he grew suspicious and alerted the authorities.
Police officers arrived and questioned the man, who initially claimed to be the girl’s father. However, upon further interrogation at Saswad police station, Kamble admitted to abducting her from Swargate Chowk. He also revealed a plan to sell her into prostitution in collaboration with Vishwakarma.
The case was investigated by Assistant Police Inspector Amol Rasal and Police Sub-Inspector Ganesh More, who gathered crucial evidence, including CCTV footage and witness statements. Both accused were held in custody throughout the trial.
During court proceedings, the now eight-year-old victim identified Kamble via video conferencing. Additional Public Prosecutor G.K. Khode presented ten prosecution witnesses.
In his ruling, Judge Salunkhe stated that the nature of the crime did not warrant leniency under the Probation of Offenders Act, making a substantial prison term necessary. However, he acknowledged that Kamble had shown some signs of compassion in the past, such as assisting a beggar despite his own hardships, indicating potential for reform. Taking into account the time he had already spent in custody since June 5, 2021, the court sentenced him to four years in prison, considering it an adequate punishment to serve the interests of justice.
