Eighty-six days after the rape and murder of a minor girl at Kopardi, which forced the Maratha community to launch silent rallies across Maharashtra, a charge sheet was filed in the Ahmednagar district and sessions court on Friday.
It names Jitendra alias Pappu Shinde, Santosh Bhaval and Nitin Bhailume booked under Sections 302 and 376 (a) of the Indian Penal Code.
The incident is said to have occurred on July 13. The 15-year-old girl belonged to the Maratha community.
The accused, of a lower caste, allegedly threatened her parents that they would file a case against them under the SC and the ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, if they filed a case of rape and murder.
Larger demandsThe Kopardi rape-murder, which has had legions of irate Maratha outfits up in arms demanding speedy redressal of the crime, has in fact metamorphosed into larger demands for the Maratha community, including reservation and a curb on the misuse of the Atrocity Act.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, visiting the victim’s relatives in late July, had said a charge sheet would be filed in 30 days to make sure that the trial started in a fast track court at the earliest.
However, with no charge sheet filed and the silent rallies continuing, the Nationalist Congress Party on Wednesday threatened to begin a protest unless a charge sheet was filed before the 90-day custody period of the accused.
