Kopardi rape-murder case: three accused held guilty

A fast track court in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra on Saturday held three  accused guilty of raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl in Kopardi village in the district.  

The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment next week.  The accused were booked and tried under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO).

The victim, who belonged to the Maratha community, was brutally gang-raped between 7.35  pm and 8.15 pm on  July 13, 2016, and was later throttled to death.

Three persons - Jitendra alias Pappu Babulal Shinde (26), Santosh Gorkha Bhawal (30) and Nitin Gopinath Bhailume (28) - were accused  in the case.

The incident, had triggered widespread protests in the state, with various political parties and Maratha organisations rooting for capital punishment to the accused.    

During the trial, which began before  a special court  in Ahmednagar sistrict, sessions judge Suvarna Keole on December 20 , 2016, the prosecution, examined 31 witnesses, while defence lawyer Vijayalaxmi Khopade -   representing one of the three accused in the case examined one witness.

Charges were framed on November 9, 2016.

The prime accused Jitendra Shinde had raped and throttled the girl to death, while the two other accused had conspired with the prime accused in the commission of the heinous act. The group had also eve-teased the girl on earlier occasions.