Thane: The special POCSO court in Kalyan has granted bail to Sakshi Gawli, wife of the deceased accused Vishal Gawli, who allegedly raped and murdered a 13-year-old girl in Kalyan. Sakshi was accused of assisting her husband in destroying evidence related to the crime. Vishal Gawli died by suicide in the toilet of Taloja Jail on April 13 this year, while in judicial custody.
During the bail hearing, Sakshi's advocate argued that her involvement was limited to disappearance of evidence, and that the rape and murder were committed solely by Vishal.
The defence submitted that Sakshi was at her bank job at the time of the incident and returned home around 6 p.m., after which Vishal allegedly threatened her and forced her to help dispose of the girl's body. Her bail plea also noted that the investigation was complete and a chargesheet had already been filed.
Prosecution stated that, based on the investigation so far, Sakshi had no role in the primary offence. “The murder was already committed before she arrived home,” the prosecutor argued. According to the court order, "Notice was issued to the informant, but no response was filed regarding the bail plea."
Special POCSO Judge V.A. Patravale granted bail, noting that Sakshi is applicable only under Section 238 (A) (Causing disapprenace of evidence) of the BNS, which is a bailable offence. She was released on a personal bond of ₹10,000 with one or two sureties of the same amount.
The Kolsewadi police had earlier arrested Vishal and Sakshi Gawli in connection with the kidnapping and murder of the 13-year-old girl, who went missing from Kalyan on December 23. Her body was discovered the next morning in a graveyard under the jurisdiction of the Padgha police station.
According to police, Sakshi is Vishal's third wife and had been married to him for the past two years. She worked at a private bank.
Following the incident, hundreds of locals staged protests, many covering their mouths with black cloth, and marched with placards demanding stringent action against the accused. The gruesome nature of the crime sparked outrage in the community.
