Defence lawyers in rape-murder case of 12-year-old withdraw citing public sentiment

Thane, Jan 3 (PTI) The lawyers of Sakshi Gawli, the co-accused in the rape and murder case of a 12-year-old girl from Kalyan in the district, on Friday withdrew from the case citing the people's anger over the crime.
Sakshi's husband Vishal Gawli is the main accused in the case.
Advocate Priyesh Singh announced in a video posted on social media that he and his colleague were returning the brief.
"While we took up this case as judicial duty, considering the strong social sentiment we believe it is not appropriate for us to continue representing Sakshi Gawli," Singh said, adding that the decision was voluntary and not taken under external pressure.
Vishal Gawli continues to be represented by his lawyers.
Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale, meanwhile, visited the victim's family at Kalyan on Friday. The culprits should be hanged, the minister said, talking to the media.
The government would provide financial assistance to the victim's family, and the municipal corporation would demolish the accused's house which has already been declared as hazardous, he said.
Vishal Gawli allegedly abducted the girl with the help of his wife from Chakki Naka area of Kalyan on December 23 when she was playing outside her house. He allegedly raped and killed her. The couple then took the body in an autorickshaw to Bapgaon on Kalyan-Padgha road and dumped it there, as per the police case.
Both are currently in police custody.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)