A court in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Thursday (January 2, 2025) extended the police custody of the couple arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping, rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Kalyan by two days.
The first accused, Vishal Gawli and his wife Sakshi, were produced before the district judge and additional sessions judge VA Patravale at the end of their police custody.
Vishal Gawli allegedly kidnapped the girl with the help of his wife from Chakki Naka area of Kalyan on December 23 afternoon when the victim was playing outside his house. He later raped the minor and killed her. The couple then took the body in an autorickshaw to Bapgaon on the Kalyan-Padgha highway and dumped it there, police said.
The victim’s body was recovered on December 24 and Sakshi Gawli was arrested the same night. Her husband was arrested the next day in Buldhana district.
Vishal is a resident of Kolsewadi in Kalyan tehsil. Sakshi Gawli, who works in a bank, is his third wife.
After the duo was produced before the court, the police sought their remand to continue investigation into the crime and recover the accused’s mobile phone which he threw in the Kasara ghat section as well as a bag which he threw in a stream.
The lawyer representing the accused asked the court to allow their relatives to stay with them in police custody as they feared they could be eliminated in an encounter comparable to the one in Badlapur. However, the court rejected the request.
The lawyer also argued that once the investigation into the crime was completed, his police custody was not necessary.
However, the court extended the police detention of the accused couple for two days.
Meanwhile, several locals formed a human chain in front of the Kalyan court to demand death penalty for the accused. Police personnel were deployed there in response to the protest.
Published – January 2, 2025 02:54 pm IST
