Medical examination said the girl was sexually assaulted before her head was smashed. (Representational)
A one-year-old girl, asleep next to her parents in Pune's Loni Kalbhor area was allegedly picked up and taken to a nearby place by a 22-year-old man who then raped her and smashed her head to the ground, police said on Friday.
On Thursday, the accused, identified as Malhari Bansode, was captured on a CCTV footage, picking up the child while she was sleeping next to her parents in the open in Loni Kalbhor.
The man was arrested following the incident, according to the police.
The girl's family work as laborers in Pune and belong to Tamil Nadu, the police added.
"At midnight, the family members, including her parents, realised that the girl was missing and they started searching for her. Subsequently, a missing complaint was registered," a senior officer of the Loni Kalbhor police station said.
The body of the girl was found close-by on Friday and was sent for medical examination which later revealed that she was sexually assaulted before her head was smashed against the ground.
"During investigation, we found a CCTV footage in which a man was purportedly seen taking away a girl. Our detection team zeroed in on the accused and during interrogation, he confessed to raping and killing her," the police official said.
A case was registered against Malhari Bansode who was then arrested under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, the officer said.
(With inputs from PTI)Click here for more news stories on Pune