Kopardi gangrape-murder case: Defence now seeks Fadnavis as witness

In another twist in the ongoing trial in the Kopardi gangrape-murder case of a minor girl, one of the accused on Friday moved an application seeking summons for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as a defence witness.

Lawyer Prakash Aher, representing the third accused Nitin G. Bhailume, said this is because the Chief Minister has tried to interfere with the judiciary and the judicial process in this sensitive case.

"The CM made a statement in Maharashtra Legislature saying that the government would ensure that the three accused would be hanged and for this, it had appointed Ujjwal Nikam as the Special Public Prosecutor," Aher told IANS.

The development comes a day after Vijaylaxmi B. Khopade and Balasaheb Khopade, who are appearing for another accused, sought Nikam be summoned as witness.

Both the matters are likely to be decided by the court July 7, Aher added.

Terming the CM's stance as strange, Aher said that there was a similar gangrape-cum-murder case in Parner in Ahmednagar district in 2014, of a minor girl.

"There are three accused even in that case... it is going on before the same Ahmednagar Sessions Court, the judge is the same and even the SPP (Nikam) is the same. However, unlike the Kopardi case of July 13, 2016, in the Parner case, nobody made a demand for death sentence to the accused who belong to an upper caste," he contended.

On Friday, Bhailume's statement was recorded before Sessions Judge Suvarna Keole, he said.

"The accused is a resident of Pune, he is a BSc graduate and was preparing for his national competitive examinations at the time of the incident. He was not aware of the incident nor present at the scene of the crime, and was arrested only after four days," Aher said.

Incidentally, since Bhailume happened to be a distant relative of another accused, Jitendra B. Shinde alias Pappu, he was summoned for questioning by the local police twice and allowed to go before his arrest, he added.

Aher also said that the medical report went in his client's favour and none of the witnesses - who comprise mostly government servants and the victim's relatives - have said that Bhailume was seen anywhere near the scene of the crime.

A few months back, Aher said he filed a discharge application for Bhailume, but it was rejected owing to certain circumstances, and later, apprehending his release, the prosecution suddenly added the charge of criminal conspiracy in the crime allegedly to trap him (Bhailume).

On April 1, some activists of a local group Shiv Prahaar, claiming the Kopardi victim was their "sister", attacked the three accused in the court premises, but they escaped unhurt.

Aher claimed that the "entire case is fabricated, with ulterior political and casteist motives, to divert attention from some other major issues".

--IANS

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