Thane: A man accused of raping and murdering a minor girl in Kalyan allegedly took his own life at Taloja Central Jail in Navi Mumbai early Sunday morning, police said. Vishal Gawli (35) was found hanging in the prison toilet around 3:30 am, authorities confirmed. It is believed that he used a towel to hang himself. Prison officials later discovered his body and informed the local police. A spot inspection (panchnama) was immediately conducted by authorities. The body was sent to the government-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai for a post-mortem to determine the exact cause of death, a Kharghar police official said.
Gawli had been accused of the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Kalyan, Thane district, in December 2024. The incident that sparked widespread outrage and calls for severe punishment for the perpetrator.
The girl went missing from Kolsewadi locality on December 24, and her body was later found in Bapgaon village, Padgha, under Thane Rural police jurisdiction. Following a probe by Kolsewadi police, Gawli and his wife Sakshi were arrested on charges of kidnapping for ransom, rape, murder, and causing disappearance of evidence, among others, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
In February this year, Kalyan police filed a 948-page chargesheet against the couple. Police previously stated that Gawli had raped and murdered the girl, while Sakshi assisted him in disposing of the body in Bapgaon.
(With inputs from Sameer Bhise)
