Gujarat court sentences 10 persons to rigorous life imprisonment in 2006 murder of NRI

Ahmedabad: A sessions court here has sentenced 10 persons to rigorous life imprisonment for the murder of an NRI in 2006 after he sought accountability for foreign funds he helped raise for a spiritual organisation.

Additional sessions judge Bharat Jadav on Friday found the accused, who were members of Swadhyay Parivar, a spiritual sect, guilty of the murder and criminal conspiracy, among other charges, after considering statements of 84 witnesses and documentary evidence.

The victim, Pankaj Trivedi, an NRI associated with the Swadhyay Parivar, was bludgeoned to death with baseball bats and iron rods near Ellisbridge Gymkhana in the city on June 15, 2006.

According to the prosecution, Trivedi helped the organisation raise funds from abroad for the 2001 Bhuj earthquake relief. However, when he inquired about the disbursement, he was slapped with numerous complaints by members of the organisation.

Trivedi courted the enmity of the accused after he started questioning the organisation's activities and wrote to its top leadership for a meeting regarding the issue. The meeting could not take place, as the accused and others did not support him.

The prosecution said the accused tried to ostracise Trivedi, and feeling threatened, he approached the police and wrote to the then chief minister, naming 30 members of the organisation to be held responsible in case anything happened to him or his friends.

The accused approached the lower courts, the Gujarat High Court and the Supreme Court against Trivedi, but the cases against him were dismissed.

After the legal setback, the accused were looking for an opportunity to murder Trivedi, the prosecution said.

The court sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment the accused, Chandrasinh Jadeja, Hiteshsinh Chudasama, Dakshesh Shah, Bhupatsinh Jadeja, Mansinh Vadher, Ghanshyam Chudasama, Bharat Bhatt, Bharatsinh Jadeja, Chandrakant Daki and Jasubha Jadeja.

It also took a stern view of 23 witnesses turning hostile during the trial and issued them with perjury notices under section 344 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

The court noted that it was extremely "painful and disturbing" to see witnesses trying to sabotage the entire judicial process.

Witnesses, including talatis, teachers, and businessmen, decided to side with the "half-truth" despite being aware of the truth and the law.

The court directed these witnesses, including those who claimed their statements were not recorded despite the fact to the contrary, to file a reply by March 10.