Vishal Gawli, accused of kidnapping, raping & murdering minor girl in Kalyan, dies by suicide in Mumbai jail

Vishal Gawli, the prime accused in the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a minor girl in Kalyan, reportedly committed suicide by hanging himself in Taloja Central Jail, Navi Mumbai.

Vishal Gawli, the prime accused in the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a minor girl in Kalyan, reportedly died by suicide by hanging himself in Taloja Central Jail, Navi Mumbai. Gawli reportedly hanged himself with a towel in the toilet around 3:30 am.

His body was sent to JJ Hospital in Mumbai for a post-mortem examination. The Kharghar police have confirmed the incident, and further investigations are underway.

Vishal had allegedly kidnapped the girl with the help of Sakshi, his third wife, on December 23 when she was playing outside her house. He allegedly raped the girl and killed her. The couple then stuffed the body in a bag, took an autorickshaw to Bapgaon on Kalyan-Padgha road and dumped the body there, police had claimed. The body was recovered on Dec 24 and Sakshi was arrested the same night.

Vishal was arrested the next day from Shegaon in Buldhana. The minor girl's parents had been demanding death penalty for the accused, who had been since lodged in police custody.

Charge sheet filed Kalyan rape & murder

The Kolsewadi police had registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

In February, a 948-page chargesheet was filed in a local court against the arrested couple. According to the police, the charge sheet consisted of over 200 pages of forensic evidence. The investigation team provided a detailed timeline of the entire episode, supported by CCTV footage - the circumstantial evidence that linked the accused to the crime.

Additionally, the charge sheet included witness testimony, panchnama, and other crucial pieces of evidence. The accused’s previous criminal records were also been attached to the charge sheet.