Five-Year-Old Girl Found Murdered in Pen Taluka Forest, Police Book Local Man
A five-year-old girl was found raped and murdered in a forested area near a stream on the outskirts of Patnoli village in Pen taluka, Raigad district, on Monday. The victim, identified as Riya Sagar Waghmare, had gone missing from her home in the Patnoli-Kanjoli Adivasiwadi tribal hamlet while sleeping next to her parents.
The victim was last seen sleeping with her parents, Sagar and Yamuna Waghmare, at around 11:00 PM on Sunday. At around 3:00 AM on Monday, the family discovered that the child was missing from their home and immediately began a search to find her.
At around 10:45 AM on Monday, Riya's body was found in the bushes of a forest near a stream on the outskirts of Patnoli village. According to the Pen Police, the child had sustained visible head injuries and had allegedly been subjected to sexual assault. Following the discovery, her body was sent for a post-mortem examination.
Based on a complaint lodged by the girl's father and the findings of a preliminary investigation, the Pen Police registered a criminal case against Kiran Bhiku Waghmare, who is a resident of the same village. The accused has been booked under Sections 103(1), 65(2), 137(2), 332, and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
No arrest had been made by the time the First Information Report (FIR) was filed. A Pen police officer stated that a case of murder and offences under the POCSO Act has been registered based on the complaint and the available evidence. The officer added that multiple police teams are currently working on the investigation, and active efforts are underway to apprehend the accused at the earliest.
A forensic team has examined the crime scene to gather evidence. The ongoing investigation is being carried out under the direct supervision of senior police officers, including the Raigad Superintendent of Police, the Additional Superintendent of Police, and the Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Pen.
