Anjanabai was the matriarch of a family in western India that kidnapped and murdered children. Her daughters Renuka Kiran Shinde, 29, and Seema Mohan Gavit, 25, and the husband of Renuka, Kiran Shinde were arrested on Nov 19, 1996. The four were accused of kidnapping 13 children under five between 1990 and 1996 and killing nine of them, but only five of the murders could be proved. They abducted children in order to demand ransom and also to be used as as props in their petty theft rackets.
Anjanabai
would instruct her daughters to enter a
crowed place where they could easily grab a child. Festivals, where people were particularly
distracted by spectacles provided favorable opportunities. The team would
kidnap children from Nashik, Mumbai, Kolhapur and Pune. The child would be kept
in their Pune residence.
The two sisters, Renuka and Seema, would carry a child in
their arms to avoid suspicion while moving about in crowded places, snatching
purses. The children were murdered when they grew too old to be carried about,
or if they tended to cry in public and arouse suspicion.
News reports described details of two of the murders:
Outside a temple in Kolhapur, the cries of the child in
their possession led to a scuffle. The sisters threw him to the ground to
momentarily divert the public’s attention. As they seized their chance to
escape, the women picked the severely injured child up and took him along.
Later the sisters’ mother Anjanabai killed the child by smashing his head
against a pole, police said. Another victim, a three-year-old who talked to
passers-by about his parents, was hung upside down from the ceiling and his
head was repeatedly slammed against a wall.
Renuka’s husband Kiran Shinde would also act as abductor,
snatching children from railway stations, bus stands and temples in Kolhapur,
Thane, Mumbai and Nashik. In preparation for the trial, the prosecution offered
Anjanabai’s son-in-law immunity for his testimony resulting in the conviction
of the ringleader and her two daughters. Anjanabai died in 1997 in custody awaiting trial. On June 29, 2001 the sisters were sentenced to death. In 2004 and 2006 their appeals were
denied. To date (July 2013) the sisters still await execution.
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For similar cases, see Murder-Coaching Moms
Descriptions of several of the murders:
Santosh (18 months-old) – “Santosh
began crying one evening at a bus stand. Fearing he would draw people’s
attention, the women banged his head against the floor and then an iron pole
till he died. His body was thrown under an autorickshaw.”
Bhavna (18 months-old) – “Bhavna was gagged, bundled into a handbag
and dumped in the ladies’ toilet of a cinema.
Naresh (2) – Two-year-old Naresh was starved and beaten to death because he would wail for his mother.”
Naresh (2) – Two-year-old Naresh was starved and beaten to death because he would wail for his mother.”
Pankaj (3 years-old) – “Pankaj
would talk to passers-by about his parents. So he was hung upside down from the
ceiling and his head slammed against a wall.
[Source: “Killer
sisters nurtured by mother,” TelegraphIndia.com. August 31, 2006]
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Chronology:
1990 – Anjanabai
kidnapped and murdered her stepdaughters small daughter, Kranti.
1990-1996 – kidnapping 13 children under five between and
killing nine of them, but only five of the murders could be proved. Among the
other victims were two 18-month-olds and a two-year-old.
Oct. 22, 1996 – complaint filed by Kranti’s mother
Nov 19, 1996 – arrest of 4: Anjanabai Gavit, Kiran Shinde, Renuka (alias Rinku) Kiran Shinde
(29), Seema Mohan Gavit (25); Yerwada
Jail, Pune.
Dec. 1997 – death of Anjanabai
Gavit, in custody awaiting trial
1998 – Kiran Shinde had all charges dropped against him
after he turned “approver” (state’s evidence) and testified against his wife
and sister-in-law.
Sep. 1998 – beginning of trial in
Kolhapur
June 29,
2001 – After a three-year trial, a sessions court awarded the death
sentence to the sisters for the murders of 5 children, named: Santosh
(1-year-old), Anjali, Shradha, Gauri and Pankaj.
Sep. 9, 2004 – Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court upheld
death penalties
Aug. 31, 2006 – Supreme Court upholds sentence.
Jul. 31, 2014 – President Pranab Mukherjee rejects Renuka
Kiran Shinde and her sister Seema Mohan Gavit's mercy petitions.
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For similar cases, see Murder-Coaching Moms
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This is absolutely shocking! Why these 2 barbaric criminal sisters not executed yet.
ReplyDeleteReading about their crimes is giving mental agony.
It is more than 4 years, since Honorable President rejected their mercy plea. Why still these two criminals are not hanged.
For God's sake, for the sake of people to continue to have faith in judiciary, for the sake of parents who lost their innocent kids...please execute them at the earliest.
Our judiciary is sleeping. I really feel for the parents who lost their kids.
DeleteThey should be hung. Justice should be served.
ReplyDeleteThey are satons in human form. Even death sentence is less for them.
ReplyDeleteThey should be hanged ASAP.
ReplyDelete