Rape-murder of 12-year-old: Don’t represent accused couple, bar association tells lawyers

The Thane District Courts Bar Association has asked its member lawyers not to represent Vishal Gawli, who is accused of raping and brutally murdering a 12-year-old girl here, and his wife Sakshi, a co-accused in the case.

On December 23, Gawli, with the help of his wife, had abducted the girl from the Chakki Naka area in Kalyan here and killed her after sexually assaulting the child.

The couple then dumped the body in Bapgaon on the Kalyan-Padgha road, as per police.

A notice asking lawyers not to defend the Gawli couple in court has been put up at the bar room here, a functionary of the association said on Saturday.

Gawli and Sakshi were held on December 25 and have been charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act provisions for kidnapping with the intent to murder or obtain ransom, rape, destruction of evidence and other offences.

Vishal Gawli, who worked in Dombivli’s Manpada area, has eight prior offences registered against him, as per police.

The couple has been remanded in police custody till January 2.

Meanwhile, police officials said probe teams are reconstructing the crime and questioning the couple to ascertain the motive of the murder.