Police to file chargesheet in 12-year-old girl’s rape and murder case in one week

A chargesheet will be filed within the next week in the case involving the rape, torture, and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Thane district, as reported by PTI citing officials.

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The accused, Vishal Gawli, allegedly abducted the girl with the assistance of his wife, Sakshi Gawli, from the Chakki Naka area of Kalyan on December 23, 2024, while she was playing outside her house, PTI reported.

He allegedly raped and killed her.

The couple then took the body in an auto-rickshaw to Bapgaon on Kalyan-Padgha road and dumped it there, as per police.

Victim's body recovered

The victim's body was recovered on December 24 and Sakshi Gawli was arrested the same night. Her husband was held the next day from Buldhana district.

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Vishal is a resident of Kolsewadi in Kalyan tehsil. Sakshi Gawli, who works in a bank, is his third wife. Both are currently in judicial custody.

What did police say?

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone III Kalyan) Atul Zende told reporters that the case is being thoroughly investigated, and a chargesheet will be filed against the accused in the next week, PTI reported.

“All efforts are being made to ensure there are no errors or loopholes in the investigation,” he said.

The investigation is nearing completion, and discussions are underway with senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam to strengthen the case and make it water-tight, the official said.

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“Authorities are making efforts to ensure the case is tried in a fast-track court to deliver swift justice,” he said.

The BNS has introduced age-based classifications for rape victims, differentiating the sentencing for minors under the ages of 18, 16, and 12. The range of punishments for the rape of minors across these age groups is largely consistent with the IPC, POCSO, and the BNS, as explained in the documents.

(With inputs from PTI)