Kalyan girl’s rape-murder Woman whose husband died by suicide in jail secures bail

Thane, Jun 20 (PTI) A woman who was arrested after her husband was taken into custody for allegedly raping and killing a minor girl in Maharashtra’s Thane district last year has been granted bail.
    Special Judge (POCSO) and 6th Additional Sessions Judge (Kalyan) V A Patravale granted relief to Sakshi Gavli, whose husband and key accused Vishal Gavli died by suicide in jail in April, on June 16. A copy of the bail order was made available on Friday.
    Vishal Gavli was accused of raping and murdering a 12-year-old girl in the Kalyan area last year. The child went missing on December 24, and her body was found later at Bapgaon village in Padgha under Thane Rural police jurisdiction.
    According to the police, Vishal raped and murdered the girl, while Sakshi helped him dump the body and destroy evidence. Sakshi, who worked in a bank, had been in judicial custody for nearly seven months.
    During the hearing of her bail plea, Sakshi’s lawyer told the court that Vishal coerced her to help him dispose of the body. He even attempted to throttle her, the lawyer claimed.
    The public prosecutor acknowledged that Sakshi appeared to have no role in the main offence of murder, as the crime was committed when she was at work.
    “Considering arguments of Special PP, it is seen that the role of the applicant (Sakshi) is limited in helping the main accused to dispose of the dead body as well as the evidence,” the court said in the order.
    The offence being bailable, she is entitled to be released on bail, said the judge.
    This case had triggered a massive public uproar, prompting the government to appoint senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as the special government prosecutor.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)