Kopardi rape case: 3 accused found guilty, sentencing on November 21

File photo of silent march being carried out in Maharashtra for Kopardi rape and murder case

Ahmednagar: Three men, accused in the 2016 Kopardi rape and murder case, have been pronounced guilty by Ahmednagar district sessions court on Saturday. The quantum of punishment to be pronounced on  November 21.

In July 2016, a 15-year-old girl was gang-raped and murdered by three youth – Jitendra Shinde, Santosh G. Bhaval and Nitin G Bhailume –  at the Kopardi village in the Ahmednagar district.

The crime sparked off huge demonstrations of the Maratha community across Maharashtra at the time, flaring up Maratha-Dalit tensions. The victim had injuries all the body.

The three Dalit men were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and certain sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The Kopardi incident proved to be the trigger for the silent marches (mook morchas) taken out by the Marathas across the state as the victim belonged to the community, while the culprits were Dalits.

The chargesheet was filed by the prosecution on October 7, 2016 and charges were framed on October 17.

The government had granted a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh to the victim's family.