AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court on Friday sentenced to life imprisonment a BJP lawmaker Jayrajsinh Jadeja, reversing a trial court order which had acquitted Mr. Jadeja and others in a 2004 murder case.
Besides Jadeja, two of his aides Amarjitsinh Jadeja and former under-19 cricketer Mahendrasinh Rana were also awarded life imprisonment by a High Court division bench consisting of Justices Akil Kureshi and Biren Vaishnav.
Jadeja is a three-time MLA representing Gondal constituency in Saurashtra region and a prominent Kshatriya community leader.
He had been charged with the murder of property dealer Nilesh Raiyani, a Patidar, as an act of revenge for the murder of one Vikram Rana, a close aide of Jadeja. Their rivalry was over a huge parcel of heritage property belonging to erstwhile Gondal princely state.
In Saurashtra, Gondal is known for the rivalry between Patel and Kshatriya communities and several murders have taken place over caste rivalry.
As per the case details, Raiyani was shot dead on February 8, 2004, when he, along with two of his friends, was travelling in a car. Subsequently, an FIR was lodged against Jadeja and 15 others in connection with the killing.
Earlier in 2010, a fast track court in Rajkot had acquitted Jadeja. However, of the 16 accused, it had found Samir Pathan, an alleged associate of Jadeja, guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
However, after protracted legal fight in the High Court, Jadeja and two others were found guilty while Pathan, who was sentenced by the trial court, has been acquitted.
