Diary found in Kalyan rape-murder accused's cell, claims he was depressed: Police

Thane: Authorities have found a diary in the Taloja prison cell of a man, accused of raping and murdering a minor girl, wherein he purportedly mentioned he was depressed and did not blame anyone for his suicide, officials said on Monday.

Vishal Gawli (35) was accused of raping and murdering a minor girl in Kalyan town of Maharashtra's Thane district in December last year.

He was found hanging in a toilet at the Taloja Central Jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai early on Sunday, police earlier said.

Authorities have found a diary in Gawli's cell in which he purportedly wrote that he was depressed as his wife (a co-accused in the case) was avoiding him and did not believe him, an official from Kharghar police station said.

Gawli also mentioned in the diary that he was not blaming anyone for his act (suicide), the official said.

The victim's parents had earlier demanded death penalty for Gawli.

The 12-year-old girl went missing from Kolsewadi locality on December 24, and her body was found later at Bapgaon village in Padgha under Thane Rural police jurisdiction.

The Kolsewadi police later arrested Gawli and his wife Sakshi on charges of kidnapping for ransom, rape, murder, causing disappearance of evidence and other offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The police filed a 948-page chargesheet against the couple in February this year.

As per the police, Vishal Gawli raped and murdered the girl, while Sakshi helped him dump the body in Bapgaon.

After Gawli's death on Sunday, the body was sent to the government-run J J Hospital in neighbouring Mumbai for post-mortem.

His last rites were held at a crematorium in Vitthal Wadi amid tight security and in the presence of his family members late Sunday night, sources said.

Gawli's lawyer Sanjay Dhakane on Sunday said he and the deceased's kin suspect foul play in his death.