Overview
- A special court in Pune framed charges against 65‑year‑old Bhimrao Prabhakar Kamble and he pleaded not guilty when the charges were read on Thursday.
- The court ordered daily, in‑camera hearings to fast‑track the case and preserve privacy given the sensitivity of the alleged assault and death.
- Prosecutors say their case relies on a circumstantial chain that includes CCTV footage, witness statements, DNA and Forensic Science Laboratory reports, a post‑mortem and an identification parade.
- The trial opened Friday with six prosecution witnesses testifying, including the victim’s parents, and the state told the court it expects to examine 82 witnesses from a chargesheet of about 1,100 pages.
- Defence lawyers have challenged the sufficiency and reliability of the key evidence while police records showing two earlier molestation allegations against the accused that ended in acquittals have been noted in court and public debate; prosecutors have also sought to add a charge for alleged destruction of evidence.