Seema Gavit and Renuka Shinde

Seema Mohan Gavit (born 1975) and her elder sister Renuka Kiran Shinde (born 1973) were Indian serial killers convicted of kidnapping and killing five children.[1] They were charged with thirteen cases of kidnapping and nine murders. The sessions court found them guilty of kidnapping and murdering of six children. The High Court has given verdict that the prosecution proved five of the cases and confirmed the death sentence.

The Supreme Court of India rejected their appeal and sentenced them to death. Their mercy plea to the President of India was also rejected.

Modus operandi

There are 3 women, a mother named Anjanabai Gavit, and her daughters, Seema Gavit and Renuka Shinde. It all started in 1990 when the mother of the Gavit sisters used to frequently commit petty thefts.

One day, Renuka, the elder Gavit sister, tried to rob someone at a temple and got caught by people. She was with her 1 year old baby, Santosh. A Crowd started questioning and abusing her. Renuka, fearing capture started making a scene and even offered her child to them. She appealed to them by swearing on her son, Santosh, and the people let her go. This was the turning point when these women realized if their children were with them, they would be able to get away with robberies. Renuka’s husband also supported them through criminal acts. He used to steal vehicles from Pune and then use these vehicles to travel to nearby cities like Mumbai, Kolhapur & Kalyan to commit robberies.

From 1990 to 1996 they kidnapped 43 children, used them for robberies and then murdered them after accomplishing their motive. State police proved 13 of the children's murders in court.

One day, Seema was caught red-handed while Renuka stood beside with her son, Santosh. When people began beating Seema, Renuka suddenly threw her son on the floor to distract the crowd. Santosh started bleeding profusely The Gavit sisters used the bleeding Santosh as a scapegoat and used this opportunity to run away, only after picking three men's pockets. Anjanabai, believing that her grandson, Santosh, was of no use anymore, murdered him by smashing his head against an iron pole.

The women started kidnapping children (between the ages of 1 and 13) all over Maharashtra from 1990 to 1996, used them for robbery and then cruelly killed all of them, usually by smashing their heads against a wall. They had a rule of not becoming fond of any of the children. They were not believed to be mentally unstable, because they committed all the murders very strategically, with a calm and composed demeanor.

In 1996, Anjanabai planned to murder her ex-husband's daughter, from his second marriage, but unfortunately for her, the police arrested all three killers before any of them could execute such a plan. At the time of their arrest, Renuka was 29 & Seema was 25. During the process of investigation, a lot of children's clothes and toys were found in their home which lead to further investigations.

Anjanabai came across a cold, calculating criminal who had been arrested for 125 cases of petty theft, including pick pocketing and snatching people’s gold chains from around their necks at railway stations. She had become a thief after her first husband, a truck driver, deserted her after the birth of Renuka. Anjanabai died in prison a year after her arrest.

No of the killers would to confess but eventually during police interrogation, Seema confessed to all her crimes. This created a huge stir across the country, especially in Maharashtra. Police filed a case of murdering 13 children and made Kiran Shinde (Seema’s husband) a witness.

The Kolhapur Court gave a verdict to hang all three of them until death in 2001, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2014. Even the President refused their mercy petition in 2014.

Story Update: In 2017 both sisters made a bid to avoid their execution. T0 date, they’ve not been hanged.

Trial sequence
  • 19 November 1996: Arrested
  • 29 June 2001: Sessions court convicts of kidnapping 13 children and killing 6 — Santosh, Anjali, Raja, Shraddha, Gauri, Pankaj.
  • 9 September 2004: High Court upholds the conviction but acquits her of the kidnapping and murder of Raja.
  • 31 August 2006: Supreme Court confirms death sentence.
  • 14 August 2014: President of India rejects mercy petition.

While Anjana died in 1997 in jail, Seema and Renuka claimed that they did not deserve death penalty.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Thieves who kidnapped, used and killed babies". The Indian Express. 18 August 2014.
  2. Eustachewich, Lia (25 April 2017). "Serial killer sisters say they don't deserve 'barbaric' death penalty". New York Post. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
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