India, Dec. 27 -- Vishal Gawli, the 35-year-old Kalyan East resident arrested for allegedly kidnapping, raping and killing a 12-year-old girl on Monday, has confessed to having lured the girl to his house as his wife was away at her parent's place in Buldhana, the police told the judicial magistrate's court in Kalyan on Thursday. Residents of the locality are terrorised by the "local goon" - accused in at least eight cases - as he had molested several women in the past and they apprehend further threats from him and his family, the police noted.

In conversation with Hindustan Times, residents demanded police protection and a death sentence for Gawli and participated in rallies seeking stringent action. Some alleged off record that he had...