Kopardi rape and murder case: Ahmednagar court to pronounce quantum of sentence on 29 Nov

Ahmednagar: A sessions court will pronounce the quantum of sentence for the three convicts in the Kopardi rape and murder case on 29 November. [caption id=“attachment_4161565” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] The court had convicted three men of raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl in Kopardi village in 2016, sparking a huge outcry across the state, especially from the Maratha community. Jitendra Babulal Shinde, Santosh Gorakh Bhawal and Nitin Gopinath Bhailume were held guilty of rape, murder and criminal conspiracy. Bhawal’s lawyer Balasaheb Khopade pleaded that Bhawal may not be given the capital punishment. However, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam argued that this was a “rarest of the rare case” and hence the tree convicts should be awarded the death sentence. The victim, who belonged to the Maratha community, was found murdered after being raped on 13 July at Kopardi village in Ahmednagar district. District and Additional Session Judge Suvarna Kevale on Wednesday said she would pronounce the quantum of sentence on 29 November.