Two years after the sensational burning case of a young lecturer, Ankita Pisudde in Hinganghat, the District Additional Sessions Court on Wednesday found accused Vikesh Nagrale guilty of the murder. The court will pronounce its verdict on Thursday, informed Ujjwal Nikam, Special Public Prosecutor. As per the directions of the Supreme Court, there is a provision under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code to give time to the accused and his lawyer before pronouncing the verdict. Talking to the mediapersons after the verdict, Adv Ujjwal Nikam said, “I requested the court to give the accused and their lawyers one day’s time for conviction on the charge of murder as per the directions of the Supreme Court.” Meanwhile, defence lawyer, Adv Bhupendra Sone said that the media had given its verdict even before the court did. “The decision is based on the written statements of witnesses, which is unjust. I will not argue in this court on Thursday. I have given a lot of concrete evidence before the court case but it is my personal opinion that I am deeply saddened by the decision.

 

 

 

I will appeal against the decision in the High Court,” Sone said while speaking to mediapersons. Considering the emotions the case had rattled and it still being fresh in public memory, tight police bandobast was maintained in the court premises to avoid untoward incident. The victim Ankita Pisudde was a 24-year-old working as lecturer in MAK Mahila College in Hinganghat. She was being stalked by Vikesh Nagrale, who was married, but she must have never imagined that his advances would culminate into a horror. On February 3, 2020, Ankita had reached Hinganghat as usual and was about to go to the college when, Nagrale had stopped her in the middle of the road and poured fuel on her person and set her afire. All this happened in full public view, Sustaining severe burns the victim was rushed to a Nagpur hospital. Inhalation of the poisonous fumes had made her condition worse and the after a long fight against fate, she succumbed on February 10, sparking an outrage all over the State.

 

The attacker was arrested hours later and subsequently charged with murder and the case was assigned to a Fast Track Court in Hinganghat. After the investigations, the Wardha Police had filed a 426-page charge sheet, 29 witnesses were examined during 64 hearings held in the past two years of the pandemic lockdown. Interestingly, not a single witness turned hostile during the trial and the verdict will come exactly two years after Ankita Pisudde’s demise in the prosecution charge directed by SPP Nikam. However, the accused Nagrale denied all the allegations, including that he had attacked or set afire the victim. The ghastly incident had echoed twice in the Parliament as well and was strongly condemned by people from various walks of the society.