HC confirms death verdict in Bibvevadi murder case

Holding that no other punishment would serve the purpose of justice,a division bench of Justices B H Marlapalle and Abhay Thipsay observed that Abhang was “hungry for blood like a beast”.

On October 9,2007,Abhang who worked as a mechanic in Pune,entered the victim’s flat in Pune’s Bibvevadi and snatched a gold chain worn by the 65-year-old victim. According to the court statement given by the granddaughter-in-law who was the witness in the case,Abhang asked the victim to hand over her bangles and attacked her with a knife,“heavier than any butcher’s knife”. When she said they were not gold,he hacked the fingers of one hand and the other hand below the wrist. He assaulted her and slit her throat.

According to the evidence submitted to the court by additional public prosecutor Madhavi Mhatre,Abhang raped the dead woman’s granddaughter-in-law and inflicted several wounds on her back with a knife.

He then went to the bathroom and cleaned himself and left the house,30 minutes after

entry. While Abhang had thought the raped woman was dead,she survived the attack and became the prosecution’s leading witness. Amicus curie Abhaykumar Apte told the court that capital punishment would be too harsh for the accused who was still young.

The court,however,observed that apart from his age,there was no mitigating factor for Abhang to seek the court’s leniency.

The judges took note of the testimony of Abhang’s childhood friend who also said that he had expressed no remorse over his act. Abhang sat with his head lowered in court. After Apte explained the verdict to him,he said,“Mi nahi kela (I didn’t do it),” and added that he would appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court.

The victim’s grandson,who was present in the court,said,“More than being satisfied,I’m just glad we don’t have to live in his fear anymore. Fortunately,my wife survived the attack but he had threatened to kill us even after the trial court’s decision in May last year.”