Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 14: Vishal Gawali, a 31-year-old undertrial accused in the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a 13-year-old girl from Kalyan, was found dead in an apparent suicide at Taloja Central Jail early Sunday morning, police said.

Gawali, who had been in custody since January, was discovered hanging from a grille in the jail’s toilet area around 3:30 am. “There is an open toilet in the barrack with a grille partition. He used a thin towel to hang himself,” said Kharghar senior police inspector Dipak Surve. CCTV footage reportedly showed him walking toward the toilet while other inmates were asleep.

The tragic incident stems from a gruesome case that had shocked Maharashtra. The child had gone missing on December 23, 2023, and was found murdered the following day. Gawali and his wife were arrested after police said they transported and dumped the girl's body in a Bhiwandi graveyard. His wife, accused of aiding in the disposal of the body, is currently lodged in Byculla Jail.

Following public outrage, Thane police had externed Gawali’s three brothers Shyam, Navnath, and Akash from Thane, Mumbai, and Raigad for two years to prevent unrest.

During a panchnama, prison authorities recovered a diary from Gawali in which he claimed innocence and expressed anguish over his wife’s silence. “He felt abandoned by her, which appeared to deeply affect his mental state,” a jail official said.

A habitual offender, Gawali had multiple cases against him, including sexual assault. The trial in this case had commenced at Kalyan Sessions Court.

He was declared dead at the scene by a jail doctor. A magistrate has conducted a medical inquest, and the body was sent to JJ Hospital for a post-mortem. An Accidental Death Report (ADR) has been registered with Kharghar Police and further investigations are ongoing.