The Bombay High Court will start hearing after two weeks the petition filed by state government seeking confirmation of death sentences awarded to two conviction in the rape and murder of a 15-year-old Maratha girl on July 13, 2016 in in Kopardi village in Ahmednagar district.
Sessions court in November 2017 awarded death sentences to three Dalit men — Jitendra Shinde, Santosh Bhaval and Nitin l Bhailume — for raping and Murdering the minor girl.
The incident had sparked massive protests across the state.
Shinde’s suicide
Public prosecutor Hiten Venegavkar and prosecutor Shreekant Gavande informed a bench of Justices PD Naik and NR Borkar on Monday that Jitendra Shinde died by suicide in Yerawada Central Prison last September.
The court then abated (dropped) the case against Shinde.
Shinde was found dead in the barracks at around 6 am on Sunday. Jail staff rushed him to the prison hospital, where he was pronounced dead by the doctor at around 6.15 am. Jail officials had said that Shinde was undergoing treatment for mental illness in the prison.
Shinde’s mother’s plea
However, Shinde’s mother, Lata Shinde, has filed a petition in HC seeking action against jail authorities for failing to provide medical assistance. She has alleged that Shinde was suffering from mental illness and wasn’t provided necessary mental health care. Her plea is likely to come up for hearing next month.
Details of the incident
According to the police, the girl was returning home on a bicycle from her grandfather’s house around 6.45 pm on the day when the trio stopped her and sexually assaulted her before murdering her. A case was lodged at Karjat police station following a complaint filed by the girl’s cousin.
The next day, the police first arrested Shinde from Shrigonda in Ahmednagar. Shinde used to work at a brick kiln and was married. On July 16, the police nabbed the co-accused Santosh Bhaval from Karjat and Nitin Bhailume from Pune.
They were booked under sections 302 (murder), read with section 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 376(2) (i)(m) (rape), read with 120(b), section 354A (1) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
