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The main accused in the abduction and murder of a 12-year-old girl from Kalyan was brought to Thane early Thursday morning after his arrest in Maharashtra's Buldhana district. Vishal Gawli, the prime suspect in the case, was arrested by the police on Wednesday from Shegaon, Buldhana, and transported to Thane around 6 am on Thursday.
Following the necessary formalities, Gawli was placed in a police lockup in Thane city, with plans to present him in a Kalyan court later in the day, as confirmed by a crime branch official.
Gawli, 32, tried to evade capture by disguising himself. He was apprehended while exiting a salon after shaving off his beard in an attempt to alter his appearance. Upon arrest, a medical examination was carried out in Buldhana before his transfer to Thane, where he is facing charges related to the kidnapping and murder of the young girl.
The victim, a 12-year-old from Kolsewadi locality in Kalyan, was abducted on Monday afternoon while playing outside her home. Her body was discovered the following morning near Bhiwandi, located in the Thane district. Her distraught parents had filed a missing persons report at the Kolsewadi police station after searching for their daughter for several hours.
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Initially, an FIR was registered under Section 137 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and a manhunt was launched to locate the missing girl. After the body was found, the police added Section 103(1) (murder) to the case.
According to the police, Gawli, a resident of Kolsewadi, has a history of criminal activity, including property-related offences. Besides Gawli, his third wife, Sakshi Gawli, and another individual have been arrested in connection with the case. Sakshi Gawli, who works at a bank, was presented before a local magistrate on Wednesday and remanded to two days of police custody.
The police are still investigating the motive behind the murder, with interrogations of around 10 people, including relatives and friends of the accused. They are also awaiting the results of the postmortem examination, with the possibility of adding charges related to sexual assault if evidence of rape is confirmed. Authorities have also seized an autorickshaw reportedly used in the crime.
(With inputs from PTI)
