Devendra Fadnavis visits Kopardi gang-rape victim
After immense criticism in the state legislature, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Ahmednagar guardian minister Ram Shinde made an unexpected visit to Kopardi to meet the family members of the 15-year-old gang-rape victim.
Fadnavis, who was returning from a function in Leh, made an sudden visit to the bereaved family. The plan had been kept a secret and the media was not allowed. He expressed his deepest condolences to them, and assured strong action against the culprits and strict punishment through a fast-track court.
A 15-year-old girl was brutally raped and killed by three men at Kopardi in Ahmednagar on July 13, when she was returning after meeting her grandfather. She was allegedly accosted by three men, who gang-raped her and then strangulated her. The victim, a student of Std. 9, had reportedly been mutilated, and local accounts suggest that she was found with her hair pulled out, and hands and teeth broken. She was found with both shoulders dislocated, according to a police source.
The crime sparked protests across the state, with people taking to the streets, demanding action against the accused, while the Congress demanded the resignation of the chief minister on moral grounds. Police said all three of the accused were arrested by the local crime branch after the incident. The government had informed the State Legislative Assembly, last week that the accused had been booked under IPC sections 376 (rape), 302 (murder) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Fadnavis, who was returning from a function in Leh, made an sudden visit to the bereaved family. The plan had been kept a secret and the media was not allowed. He expressed his deepest condolences to them, and assured strong action against the culprits and strict punishment through a fast-track court.
A 15-year-old girl was brutally raped and killed by three men at Kopardi in Ahmednagar on July 13, when she was returning after meeting her grandfather. She was allegedly accosted by three men, who gang-raped her and then strangulated her. The victim, a student of Std. 9, had reportedly been mutilated, and local accounts suggest that she was found with her hair pulled out, and hands and teeth broken. She was found with both shoulders dislocated, according to a police source.
Alarge number of people were gathered in Kopardi and Fadnavis assured them, in a short speech, that the government would leave no stone unturned to ensure justice. The government has already appointed Ujjwal Nikam as the lawyer in the case.
The crime sparked protests across the state, with people taking to the streets, demanding action against the accused, while the Congress demanded the resignation of the chief minister on moral grounds. Police said all three of the accused were arrested by the local crime branch after the incident. The government had informed the State Legislative Assembly, last week that the accused had been booked under IPC sections 376 (rape), 302 (murder) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
