Released from jail, man rapes, kills minor girl

mangaloretoday.com/ PTI

Shirdi, Jan13, 2013: A 32-year-old man, who was released from jail for his good behaviour after serving sentence in a rape and murder case of a minor girl, was again arrested for allegedly raping and killing a girl here, police said today.

Sunil Suresh alias Pappu Salve was arrested yesterday for allegedly kidnapping a nine-year-old girl from Shirdi town of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra on December 28 last year following which he raped her and then killed her.

 

Salve was arrested yesterday near Manmad railway station in Nashik district by Shirdi police. He was later produced in Rahata local court which remanded him to police custody till January 17, police said.

Earlier, Salve was arrested in 2003 for raping and murdering a minor girl in Sinnar area of Nashik district.

Later, Nashik Sessions Court had awarded death sentence to him in the case. But he had appealed in the Bombay High Court against the sentence and was acquitted in the case, police sources said.

However, he was serving two jail terms - ten-year and seven-year rigorous imprisonment each - for cases of rape and murder against him lodged in Ambad and Nashik police stations in 2002, police said.

On account of his good behaviour, he was released from the Nashik road jail on May 28, 2012.

After release from jail, Salve kidnapped the nine-year-old girl from Shirdi and allegedly raped and murdered her on December 28, 2012.

He then threw the victim’s body at an isolated place near Shirdi railway station.
The decomposed body was recovered on Friday night, police said.

Additional Superintendent of Police Sunita Thakare had yesterday said that a rape and murder case against Suresh will be tried by a fast-track court.

Enraged over the incident, people in Shirdi took out a protest march yesterday and demanded stern punishment for Salve.

The NCM suggested that in Section 354 of the IPC, the phrase "sexual harassment" should include blackmailing and stalking with or without bodily contact.

Observing that boys are also victim of unnatural offences, it said, "they (boys) too need strict legal protection and the punishment should be equally severe."

Dubbing the religious system prevalent in the country as "patriarchal", the Commission said "Manu Smriti and Triple Talaq are examples enough to prove gender bias. This bias cannot be removed through just one criminal law."

It also said that delay in registering crimes against women and the odious and boorish questions put to the prosecutrix have to be done away with initially.

As a guard against custodial rape cases, the Commission suggested making mandatory installation of CCTV in all police stations for greater accountability from the cops.

"Senior police officers of the rank of DSP/SP should be informed immediately of the incident. There should be regular monitoring and review of all sexual assault cases including pending cases by the SP/SSP/IGP," it said, adding that failure to lodge FIR by police should be made punishable by law.

The Commission also recommended that interference on behalf of rape accused by anyone, especially police force, should be made a punishable offence.

In cases of consensual sex, it said, the minimum age for consent needs to be brought down to 16 years from 18, with consequential amendment in the CrPC and the Evidence Act.

"At times there is a thin line separating consensual sex from rape and the former is becoming a little more common today," NCM observed.

For medical examination, it prescribed a uniform protocol for treatment and collection of medical evidence to ensure dignified treatment and examination of rape victims.