Six persons have been awarded death penalty by hanging for the infamous Khairlanjee killings in Maharashtra. A court in Maharashtra delivered the verdict on Wednesday.The massacre of the family of Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange by the OBC strongmen of the village in September 2006, had shaken the entire State and again brought to fore the issue of Dalit atrocities. Later angry Dalits had gone on rampage in parts of Maharashtra.
There were just three neo-Buddhist Dalit families in Kherlanji. Priyanka, a bright student, was raped and even her death, the killers sexually violated her. Surekha was also beaten up, stripped, paraded and raped before her murder. Roshan and Sudhir were tortured and killed. Bhotmange was the witness to this sordid rape and murder of his entire family.
When local police failed to conduct proper investigations, after much hue and cry the case was transferred to the CBI. It had booked 46 persons and of them 35 were let off for want of evidences. After 15 months, the charge sheet was filed and the Bhandara court today ordered capital punishment for the accused. Two other accused got life sentence.
