Diary Reveals Depression of Accused in Kalyan Rape-Murder Case, Police Say

A diary discovered in the Taloja prison cell of Vishal Gawli, accused in the rape and murder of a minor girl, revealed his struggles with depression and stated he held no one responsible for his suicide, police reported on Monday.

Gawli, 35, was charged with the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Kalyan, Thane district, in December last year. He was found dead, hanging in a toilet at Taloja Central Jail in Navi Mumbai, early Sunday, according to police.

An official from Kharghar police station said the diary entries indicated Gawli felt depressed because his wife, a co-accused in the case, was distancing herself and did not trust him. The diary also noted that Gawli took full responsibility for his actions, absolving others of blame for his death.

The victim’s parents had previously called for Gawli’s execution. The girl disappeared from Kolsewadi on December 24, and her body was later found in Bapgaon village, under Thane Rural police jurisdiction.

Kolsewadi police arrested Gawli and his wife, Sakshi, charging them with kidnapping for ransom, rape, murder, evidence tampering, and additional offenses under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. In February, authorities submitted a 948-page chargesheet against the couple.

According to police, Gawli committed the rape and murder, while Sakshi assisted in disposing of the body in Bapgaon. Following Gawli’s death, his body was sent to J J Hospital in Mumbai for a post-mortem examination. His last rites took place late Sunday at a Vitthal Wadi crematorium under heavy security, attended by family members, sources confirmed.

Gawli’s lawyer, Sanjay Dhakane, along with the deceased’s relatives, expressed suspicions of foul play in his death on Sunday.