State’s Nirbhaya: Three get noose

A Sessions Court here on Wednesday awarded death sentence to three men for the brutal rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in Kopardi village in 2016 that triggered protests across the state.

Hailing the verdict, the girl's mother said her daughter "has got justice in the true sense".

Additional Special Judge Suvarna Kevale, presiding over the fast track court, awarded the death sentence to Jitendra Babulal Shinde (25), Santosh Gorakh Bhawal (30) and Nitin Gopinath Bhailume (23).

The judge had on November 18 convicted the three men on charges of rape, murder and criminal conspiracy. Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said the verdict would act as a "deterrent" for criminals.

The victim, a Class IX student, was found murdered after being raped on July 13, 2016, at Kopardi village in Ahmednagar district. The accused also inflicted injuries all over her body and broke her limbs before throttling her. The incident became a trigger for silent marches by Marathas across the state as the victim belonged to the community; the culprits were Dalits. The case also created a political flutter with the opposition Congress and the NCP demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on moral grounds.

Following the protests, the state government appointed criminal lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who has appeared in several high-profile cases including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, as the special public prosecutor. Nikam made out a case that the prime accused, Shinde, allegedly raped and murdered the victim while the other two, Bhawal and Bhailume,

"conspired with and instigated" Shinde in committing the crime.

Though the police had previously hyped it as a "gang rape", Nikam later submitted 24 pieces of evidence to deduce that Shinde had raped and smothered the girl to death. On the "conspiracy" of the co-accused, Nikam argued that Bhawal and Bhailume were present when Shinde had teased the girl two days prior to the incident. Shinde had given a missed call to Bhailume when he and Bhawal were in the vicinity of the crime.

"The entire case was based on 'circumstantial evidence' which we have proven to the court. Though the accused may lie, circumstantial evidences can't lie. Besides, other forensic evidences also helped clinch the case," Nikam said.

The victim's mother, who was present in the court, thanked the government, the police, the judiciary and the Maratha community for bringing justice to her daughter.