BELAGAVI: Shocked by High Court’s decision to acquit all the five accused in the gang-rape and murder of her daughter, Kanchna Desai has now approached the Supreme Court. Kanchana’s daughter, Sheetal Chougale, a housewife, was killed nine years ago in Belagavi.
The incident, that happened on August 11, 2007, had shocked Belagavi and many women’s organisations had demanded stringent punishment to all the six accused. A few days after the incident, the main accused, Pravin Shintre, a notorious gangster, was killed in a police encounter.
The 5th Additional Sessions and District Court of Belagavi had sentenced the remaining five accused, Ranjit Shinde, Sheetal’s husband Ravindra Chougale, Ramesh Mense, Vijayanand Shinde and Reena Tahsildar, to life imprisonment. Kanchana had later moved High Court demanding more stringent action against the accused, however, the high court acquitted all the accused.
On the fateful day Sheetal's husband left the house asking her to wait until he was returned in a while. He had allegedly given supari to the five accused to kill Sheetal. The accused, along with Shintre, raped Sheetal and killed her. They carried the body to Khanapur forest and dumped it there on the same night. On August 13, 2007, the body was recovered from the forest, which had led to the arrests.
