Four men get 5 years' RI for attacking Kopardi case accused

The sessions court here today sentenced four persons, who had attacked the accused in the infamous Kopardi rape and murder case, to five years' of rigorous imprisonment.

Prosecutor Mangesh Diwane said that on April 9, 2017, when the three accused in the Kopardi case were being taken to prison after a hearing, they were attacked with sharp weapons on the court premises here.

Notably, the police arrested Sukhdev Khune, Ganesh Khune, Baburao Valekar and Rajendra Balasaheb Jarhad immediately after the attack.

Sessions judge Satynarayan Navander today sentenced them to five years' of rigorous imprisonment under section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder).

The brutal rape and murder of a 15-year-old Maratha girl at Kopardi in the district had led to protests across the state by the Maratha community.

Jitendra Shinde, Nitin Bhailume and Santosh Bhaval, the accused in the Kopardi case, were sentenced to death by the sessions court here last year.