Prosecution demands death sentence for Kopardi killers

A special fast-track court on Wednesday reserved the verdict in the sensational Kopardi rape-murder case till 29 November.

Special Public Prosector Ujjwal Nikam had demanded death sentence for the three convicts in the case, while the lawyers of the three accused  requested leniency.

The three accused, Jitendra alias Pappu Babulal Shinde (26), Santosh Gorkha Bhawal (30) and Nitin Gopinath Bhailume (28) where held guilty of rape, murder and criminal conspiracy.

"They deserve the maximum punishment which is death sentence... going by their disposition and behaviour, there is no guarantee that the convicted will not commit a similar crime in the future," Nikam pleaded before Ahmednagar District Sessions Judge Suvarna Keole.

A  15-year-old Class IX girl, who belonged to the Maratha community, was brutally raped between 7.35  pm and 8.15  pm on 13 July, 2016 by the accused and was later throttled to death.

The victim's mother said the death sentence is the only punishment that  the accused deserve.

"A strong message needs to go out. Henceforth, no one should do this again to anyone... today, no girl in Kopardi is ready to go to school  6  km away," she said.