Fadnavis, oppn leaders hail Kopardi rape, murder case verdict

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and opposition leaders today hailed the verdict in the Kopardi rape and murder case and sought stringent punishment for the convicts.
A court in Ahmednagar in western Maharashtra, convicted three men for raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl in Kopardi village in 2016, which had sparked huge protests across the state, especially from the Maratha community.
Fadnavis alleged that all possible attempts were made to derail and slowdown the pace of the Kopardi gang-rape case, and he hoped that stringent punishment is awarded to the convicts.
"Justice has been served today to the sister who was brutally assaulted and killed. We cannot bring our sister back, but after the culprits are awarded punishment, nobody in the future will dare to do such a thing and there will be fear of law among such people," he told reporters here.

"I hope the strictest possible punishment is awarded to the convicts. I thank our lawyer Ujjwal Nikam ji (the special public prosecutor in the case) because he ensured the case came to a conclusion as early as possible.
"The lawyer of the accused made all possible attempts to derail the case, but Ujjwal Nikam ji thwarted all such attempts," Fadnavis said.

Expressing satisfaction over the verdict, Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan said that the incident was a blot on the rich culture of the state.
"Looking at the gravity of the incident, the perpetrators should be given the most stringent punishment so that it serves as a lesson to others and such incidents are not repeated," Chavan said in a statement here.

State NCP chief Sunil Tatkare demanded capital punishment for all the three convicts.
"This incident was unfortunate and one that has tarnished the rich cultural heritage of the state. Hence, all the three should be awarded capital punishment," the former minister said.
The victim, who belonged to the Maratha community, was found killed after being raped on July 13, 2016.