(Eds: Adds details, reax of girl's mother, prosecutor)Ahmednagar (Maha), Nov 29 (PTI) A sessions court heretoday awarded the death sentence to three men for the brutalrape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Kopardivillage in 2016 that triggered protests across the state.
Hailing the verdict, the girl's mother said her daughter"got justice in the true sense today".
Additional Special Judge Suvarna Kevale, presiding overthe fast track court, awarded the death sentence to JitendraBabulal Shinde (25), Santosh Gorakh Bhawal (30) and NitinGopinath Bhailume (23).
The judge had on November 18 convicted the three men oncharges of rape, murder and criminal conspiracy.
Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said the verdictwould act as a "deterrent" to criminals.
The victim, a Class IX student, was found murdered afterbeing raped on July 13, 2016 at Kopardi village in Ahmednagardistrict.
The accused also inflicted injuries all over her body andbroke her limbs before throttling her, police said.
The incident turned out to be the trigger for silentmarches (mook morcha) by Marathas across the state as thevictim belonged to the community, while the culprits areDalits.
Marches, joined by a large number of women, were takenout throughout the length and breadth of the state by theMaratha community demanding quick investigation and speedytrial in the case.
It also sent strong political ripples with the oppositionCongress and the NCP demanding the resignation of ChiefMinister Devendra Fadnavis on moral grounds.
Following the protests, the state government appointednoted criminal lawyer Nikam, who has appeared in severalhigh-profile cases including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack,as the special public prosecutor in the case.
On October 7 last year, the Ahmednagar Police filedthe charge sheet running into over 350 pages before the courtin which the trio was charged under IPC sections 302 (murder),376 (rape), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and relevant sectionsof Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The victim's mother, who was present in the court,thanked the government, police, judiciary and the Marathacommunity for bringing justice to her daughter.
"I am thankful to the government, police, judiciary andthe entire Maratha community for coming together and fightingfor my daughter," the girl's mother said.
Nikam said he was satisfied with the court's verdict.
"This judgement will be a great deterrent to criminals,"he told PTI.
Nikam had earlier told the court that four to five daysbefore the incident, the accused had stopped the girl andtried to molest her. However, when she resisted, two of theaccused said that they would see her later.
On the day of the incident, all the accused were movingon their motorcycles and keeping a watch on the girl'smovements, Nikam had said.
The prosecutor today said he raised 24 points whilepleading the case in the court.
The prosecution closed the case from its side bypresenting 31 witnesses before the court, he said.
The prosecutor said that the three convicts were alsogiven life imprisonment for charges pertaining to rape andcriminal conspiracy and they were also fined Rs 20,000 each.
The convicts were also awarded three years' rigorousimprisonment under the charges of molestation.
All these sentences will run concurrently, said Nikam.
He said Bhawal was earlier fined Rs 18,000 for stallingthe trial in the court. Since he failed to pay the fine, thecourt today ordered the district administration to recover itfrom him. PTI SPK/COR GKDV.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.
