Fast-Track Justice in Crimes Against Young Girls; Government Committed to Stringent Punishment for the Accused

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Assurance in the Legislative Assembly

Nagpur, Dec 2025 : The Maharashtra government is taking firm and concrete steps to ensure that those guilty of heinous crimes such as rape and murder of young girls—acts that are brutal and stain the conscience of humanity—are awarded swift and severe punishment, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde informed the Legislative Assembly.

The issue was raised through an attention motion by MLA Suhas Kande regarding the sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in Malegaon taluka of Nashik district. Responding to the motion, Deputy Chief Minister Shinde provided details of the government’s action.

He said that in such grave cases, the police act promptly to arrest the accused. However, to ensure there is no delay in the judicial process and to create a strong deterrent against such crimes, decisions have been taken after consultations with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the concerned authorities.

In the Malegaon taluka case, a Special Public Prosecutor will be appointed immediately, and the case will be tried in a fast-track court, Deputy Chief Minister Shinde stated. All evidence and witness statements will be collected in a timely manner and presented before the court within a fixed timeframe.

Emphasising the government’s zero-tolerance approach, he said that in extremely cruel, inhuman, and society-shocking crimes, the state will make every possible effort to ensure punishment up to capital punishment for the guilty. Such offenders must receive a lasting lesson, and a strong deterrent must be established—this is the firm stance of the government, he added.

During the discussion on the attention motion, supplementary questions were raised by MLAs Yogesh Sagar, Atul Bhatkhalkar, Kishor Patil, Balaji Kalyankar, and Ms. Sana Malik.