Acquitted in child rape-murder case, Gujarat man arrested for raping 76-year-old

Rajkot police have arrested Ramesh Vadhukiya for allegedly abducting, raping and murdering a 76-year-old woman. The arrest has renewed focus on his acquittal earlier this year in the rape and murder case of a three-year-old girl.Accused Ramesh Vadhukiya in police custody. (Source: ITG)A 33-year-old man, Ramesh Vadhukiya, who was acquitted by the High Court earlier this year in the rape and murder case of a three-year-old girl despite having been sentenced to death by a sessions court, has now been arrested for allegedly raping and murdering a 76-year-old woman in Gujarat's Rajkot.The woman's body was found near the banks of Aji Dam on August 21.BODY FOUND NEAR AJI DAMThe woman was initially unidentified when her body was recovered near the Rajkot-Bhavnagar Highway.A forensic post-mortem was conducted at the Civil Hospital, while police also published details in newspapers to establish her identity. The woman was subsequently identified as a 76-year-old who earned her living by begging near a temple on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad Highway. Her grandson told police that he had left her near the temple on the morning of August 19. When he returned in the evening, she was missing.After searches failed to trace her, a missing person complaint was registered on August 20.CCTV TRAIL LEADS POLICE TO RICKSHAW DRIVER The police initially registered a case of accidental death.As the investigation progressed, police examined CCTV footage along the approximately 13-kilometre route between the temple and the spot where the woman's body was found.According to police, the footage showed Ramesh picking up the woman in his rickshaw near the temple on the pretext of taking her home. He allegedly drove her to different locations before taking her to a secluded area.Police alleged that Ramesh assaulted the woman with a wooden stick and other objects. When she was semi-conscious, he allegedly raped her and assaulted her again, resulting in her death.He then wrapped her body in cloth and dumped it near the Aji Dam in an attempt to destroy evidence.Based on the CCTV footage, police identified and questioned the rickshaw driver. During preliminary interrogation, Ramesh confessed to abducting, assaulting and raping the woman before disposing of her body.Police Inspector Haresh Patel has registered a case against him under several provisions.ACCUSED LINKED TO EARLIER MURDER CASESPolice said Ramesh has a criminal history and had previously been accused in three murder cases.A murder case was registered against him at Chotila police station in 2010. He was accused of killing the victim by assaulting them with a wooden club and a stone before disposing of the body in a well.In 2018, he was accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering a three-year-old girl. He was also accused in a separate robbery and murder case involving a 70-year-old woman, registered at the Kuwadva Road police station the same year.The three-year-old girl's rape and murder had caused widespread shock in Rajkot. At the time, the city police were searching for the accused in the case, while Ramesh was already in Crime Branch custody in connection with the separate robbery and murder case.SENTENCED TO DEATH, ACQUITTED BY HIGH COURTIn March 2020, a Rajkot sessions court sentenced Ramesh to death in the case involving the three-year-old girl's rape and murder.He challenged the verdict before the High Court, which acquitted him in February 2026.While delivering its verdict, the High Court observed that the prosecution's case was based on circumstantial evidence and found gaps in the chain of evidence.The court also found the testimony of a paan shop owner unreliable and noted that the prosecution's claims were not corroborated by CCTV footage. It further pointed to issues concerning the reconstruction panchnama and DNA samples before extending the benefit of doubt to the accused.Months after his acquittal and release from prison, Ramesh is now accused of abducting, raping and murdering the 76-year-old woman in Rajkot, police said.- EndsPublished On: Aug 27, 2026 23:15 IST