State seeks death for all three Kopardi convicts

Mumbai: The arguments on the quantum of punishment in the 2016 gruesome Kopardi rape and murder case concluded at the special sessions court at Ahmednagar on Wednesday.

 Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam referred to 13 aspects of the crime while pressing for capital punishment for the three convicts and justified his demand on the grounds that despite being found guilty they did not show any remorse.

Mr Nikam said this was an indicator that they would not reform even if given life imprisonment and hence deserved death penalty. The special court will pass its verdict on November 29.

Arguments on the quantum of punishment for the trio continued on Wednesday with advocate Balasaheb Khopade who appeared for the third convict Santosh Bhaval claiming that his client was innocent and was framed.

Mr Khopade said Bhaval had been falsely implicated and evidence had been fabricated against him in light of the fact that there was no eyewitness who saw him leave the crime scene.

The incident occurred on July 13, 2016. However, Mr Nikam referring to the antecedents of the actual day of the crime said Bhaval and Nitin Bhailume had laughed when Jitendra Shinde, the first convict had grabbed the hand of the 15-year-old victim. He further said that on the day of the crime, both Bhaval and Bhailume had followed the victim on their motorbike when she set off to her grandfather’s place on her bicycle.

Mr Nikam said that the conspiracy to rape and murder the girl was hatched by the trio between July 11 and 13.

Referring to the behaviour of the trio even after being convicted, Mr Nikam said Shinde did not show any sign of remorse and the other two convicts also did not show signs of rehabilitation. He said the trio’s sentence should not be mitigated and they all should be given the death penalty.

The Kopardi incident has been likened to the 2012 Nirbhaya case in Delhi and has witnessed huge protest rallies by the Maratha community, to which the victim belonged.