Mumbai: A rape accused allegedly committed suicide on Sunday in Taloja Central Jail. According to the police, Vishal Gawli, the key accused in the brutal rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Kalyan, was found hanging in the prison toilet around 3:30 am.
The Thane police had arrested Gawli, 35, and his second wife, Sakshi, 25, in December 2024 after he allegedly raped and murdered the girl in Kalyan who had gone missing. Sakshi allegedly helped him dispose of the body, which was found a day later. The CID enquiry will be conducted in the suicide of Vishal Gawli.
A senior police officer said that Gawli committed suicide in the passage of toilet due to depression as he was feeling lonely and even his wife Sakshi was not speaking with him. Sakshi is currently lodged at Byculla jail for women.
“Sakshi did not join her husband Vishal during video conferencing (VC), which is being held every week for the inmates. Apart from this, Sakshi also provided evidence to the police against her husband. This did not go well with Vishal,” he said. This might have disappointed Vishal triggering for committing suicide.
The senior police officer said that Gawli has left a suicide note, in which he has mentioned “nobody was responsible for his suicide”. When contacted, Jail Superintendent Pramod Wagh said that Vishal committed suicide with help of Gamchha (towel) and iron rod placed in the passage of toilets between 3.30 am to 3.45 am.
According to the police, Gawli had eaten dinner on Saturday evening and was seen heading to the toilet around 3:30 am. Another inmate discovered his body in the jail washroom around 4.00 am. The inmates immediately informed the on-duty constable in the barracks. His body was sent to J.J. Hospital for post-mortem.
