Pair Arrested for the Abduction, Rape, and Murder of 13-Year-Old Girl in Thane, Maharashtra
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Thane, Dec 26 (NationPress) A pair has been apprehended regarding the abduction, rape, and murder of a 13-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Thane district.
This incident follows closely after the Badlapur sexual assault involving two nursery class girls in August, marking the second case that has ignited public outrage, with demands for the death penalty directed at the alleged offenders – Vishal Gawli, 35, and his wife Sakshi Gawli, 25.
Vishal Gawli is charged with abducting the girl from near her residence while she was playing on a Monday, taking her to his home, where he allegedly assaulted, raped, and murdered her before disposing of her body near a cemetery in the adjacent Bhiwandi town, roughly 8 kilometers away.
He was seen on CCTV buying liquor at a restaurant-cum-bar, prompting the Thane Police to form six teams to locate him, and he was ultimately arrested on Wednesday (December 25) with assistance from Buldhana Police.
A team from Kalyan Police, which filed the case, took custody of Vishal Gawli from Shegaon Police in Buldhana, where his in-laws live, while his wife Sakshi, believed to be involved in the crime, was apprehended outside their home in Kalyan.
The Shegaon Police tracked Vishal Gawli after he left a salon where he changed his appearance by shaving his beard.
He was then transferred to Kolsewadi Police Station in Kalyan town (Thane) on Thursday and is expected to be presented before a Kalyan Magistrate Court later today.
Initial investigations indicate that he has a history of sexual offenses, facing three molestation charges involving two women and a minor girl, alongside two assault cases. He was released on bail for a POCSO case filed in August 2023 and has been married three times, with Sakshi being his third spouse.
As the issue gained political significance, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis contacted the Thane Superintendent of Police, insisting that every effort be made to secure the death penalty for the now-arrested suspects.
Ruling ally Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, representing the Lok Sabha constituency where the crime occurred, visited the victim's family and assured that the government would pursue a trial and execution for the accused.
The incident has drawn significant criticism from opposition factions, including Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT), who remarked that Thane – the district of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde – has become a hotspot for horrific crimes against women and young girls.
