The convicts, Naresh Golani (40) and Dharmesh Patel (42), were found guilty under charges including murder, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy. (Representational Image)A SESSIONS court sentenced a diamond broker and another man to life imprisonment on Saturday for murdering a 21-year-old diamond delivery boy and robbing diamonds worth Rs 1.25 crore in 2011.
The convicts, Naresh Golani (40) and Dharmesh Patel (42), were found guilty under charges including murder, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy.
According to the prosecution, led by Assistant Public Prosecutor Iqbal Solkar, the victim, Hardik Moradia, worked with a diamond merchant at Opera House.
On November 11, 2011, Moradia, a Virar resident, went to office in the morning and was assigned four packets of diamonds to be delivered to four traders by his employer.
The employer left the office at 4.30 pm and remained in touch with Moradia till 6.30 pm. After that, however, the employer could not contact him. In a few hours, Moradia’s brother Bipin called the employer and informed him that Moradia had not reached home.
Moradia’s employer called the four traders to find out if the delivery had been completed, following which he found out that while three diamond packets had been delivered, one with more than 725 carat diamonds had not been delivered.
A police complaint was registered at D B Marg police station, based on the suspicion that Moradia had been abducted. Two days later, police was alerted about a body that was found in Panchgani, more than 250 km from Mumbai. Police found Moradia’s identity card near the body. Based on call data records, police found out that he had been in touch with Golani before he disappeared.
Police questioned Golani and found out about his involvement in the crime. The investigation also showed that Golani and Patel, who knew Bipin, had made inquiries about Moradia’s work timings.
The prosecution submitted to the court that the two had conspired to abduct and rob the diamonds. Moradia was abducted and strangulated with the car’s seat belt, after which his throat was slit.
The court relied on evidence including the call data records of the victim and the accused as well as statements from Moradia’s employer and brother.
