Notorious bootlegger Lalu Sindhi denied bail

Vadodara: Notorious bootlegger Lalchand Khanani alias Lalu Sindhi who was recently nabbed by local crime branch of Vadodara rural police was denied bail by a court.
Sindhi, who has several cases of prohibition against him, had sought bail in a case registered at Panigate police station in August. He was arrested on November 21 near Dumad crossroads on National Highway-48. It was on August 21 that the state monitoring cell had raided a godown near Saraswati Vidyalaya on Ajwa Road and seized Indian Made Foreign Liquor worth Rs 8.4 lakh. Three persons identified as Mukesh Makhijani, Hemant alias Babu Sachwani and Rajesh Machhi were nabbed from the spot for unloading the liquor stock.

Sindhi had pleaded innocence in the case claiming that he was not present at the spot when police had raided the godown.

In response to Sindhi’s bail application, police submitted an affidavit stating that Sindhi’s name had surfaced in the statements of the accused who were caught red-handed in the raid. Cops also said that Sindhi had ordered the liquor consignment from one Prakash Marwadi from Rajasthan.

“The court was told that there are more than 40 cases registered against Sindhi and he has a criminal history. In the past when he was granted anticipatory bail he used to abscond even though the courts had asked him to remain present before police,” said additional public prosecutor Ramesh Gianchandani.

The court of additional district judge A A Nanvati upheld the arguments and turned down the bail plea on Monday.

Sindhi is also an accused in the murder case of gangster Mukesh Harjani.