On November 23, that neighbouring courtroom had acquitted all nine accused persons charged with the murder of 17-year-old Dalit student Nitin Agey, in 2014. In the Kopardi rape and murder case, the caste equation is poised in exactly the opposite manner. Adding to the unrest was the murder of Dalit youth Sagar Shejwal in Shirdi in Ahmednagar in May 2015. But in the Kopardi case, senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam – a household name after his prosecution of Ajmal Kasab — was appointed SPP. Not surprisingly, the local authorities in Ahmednagar have stepped up vigil ahead of the sentencing in the Kopardi case today.

Source: Indian Express November 29, 2017 03:45 UTC