Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jan 1: A rape accused who was out on bail in Maharashtra's Raigad district killed a three-year-old girl after sexually assaulting her, said the police on Thursday.

The accused identified as Adesh Patil (34) had kidnapped the girl from her house when she was asleep with her parents at Vadgaon village in Pen tehsil on Wednesday, said a police official. Patil then took the child to an isolated area behind a school where he allegedly raped and killed her.

The body of the victim was discovered by her grandmother. She was taken to a government hospital where she was declared dead on arrival, the police official said. 

The officials believe Patil to be guilty of this crime as he was spotted in the area several times before. Further, he has numerous cases registered against him. He had secured bail in a rape case only 10 days ago, an official said. Police have formed a special team to track him down. He was arrested on Wednesday evening and produced before court who remanded him in police custody till January 8.

A case has been registered against him under the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Locals who were enraged by the crime staged a protest in Pen and called for a shut-down on Thursday. Maharashtra minister Aditi Tatkare, an MLA from the Raigad district, took to Twitter to ask state home minister Anil Deshmukh to ensure that the accused gets the strictest punishment after a speedy trial. She also demanded compensation for the victim's family.