VADODARA: Eleven persons arrested in the sensational murder of gangster Mukesh Harjani in 2016 walked free on Monday after the sessions court acquitted all of them.
Harjani, who ruled the illicit liquor business in Gujarat, was gunned down in Harni area on October 20, 2016.
Additional sessions judge H I Trivedi pronounced the acquittal in an open court on Monday while the detailed judgement is expected on Wednesday. The court said that the 11 have been acquitted on benefit of doubt.
Those who walked free are Mohammed Akbar Ghausi, Rajeshkumar Patel alias Raju, Omprakash Punjabi alias Omi, Anil Gangvani alias Anthony, Sanjay Dave alias Sanjay Rx, Salim Sheikh alias Khatiyo, Kalpesh Patel alias Kalpesh Kachhiyo, Bharatsinh Bariya, Vijaykumar Udwani alias Viju Sindhi, Sunil Ramani alias Sunil Ado and Lalchand Khanani alias Lalu Sindhi.
Salim Sheikh is lodged at Lajpore Central Jail in Surat.
Four others – Kailash Maheshwari alias Kailash Rathi, Joginderpal Sharma alias Fauji, Dilip Prajapati alias Dilip Marwadi and Dalbir Singh – are still absconding.
Harjani was shot at when he left from Vrundavan Township in Harni area after a party. Nine rounds were fired of which eight had hit Harjani.
In its chargesheet, the detection of crime branch (DCB) had said that Kalpesh, Anthony, Sanjay, Omi, Viju, Lalu, Sunil, Kailash, Fauji, Dilip and Dalbir had joined hands to bump off Harjani.
They had hired Sheikh and Ghausi from Ratlam on contract to fire at Harjani. Raju and Bharatsinh were accused of lending logistics support and getting sim cards.
While Kalpesh, Anthony, Sanjay and Omi feared for their lives as Harjani had threatened to kill them, other six allegedly joined in the conspiracy because the gangster wanted to raise his stakes in the liquor trade across Gujarat.
The chargesheet stated that it was during a meeting at Banswada in Rajasthan that Harjani wanted to take over the entire liquor trade, much to the chagrin of others, who also had high stakes in the illicit business.
Initially, eight of them were booked and arrested and later Viju, Lalu and Sunil were arrested and all 11 were tried together. “The court has acquitted all giving them benefit of doubt. More details will be known only when we get a copy of the judgement,” said Rajesh Singh, one of the advocates who represented the accused.
Harjani, who ruled the illicit liquor business in Gujarat, was gunned down in Harni area on October 20, 2016.
Additional sessions judge H I Trivedi pronounced the acquittal in an open court on Monday while the detailed judgement is expected on Wednesday. The court said that the 11 have been acquitted on benefit of doubt.
Those who walked free are Mohammed Akbar Ghausi, Rajeshkumar Patel alias Raju, Omprakash Punjabi alias Omi, Anil Gangvani alias Anthony, Sanjay Dave alias Sanjay Rx, Salim Sheikh alias Khatiyo, Kalpesh Patel alias Kalpesh Kachhiyo, Bharatsinh Bariya, Vijaykumar Udwani alias Viju Sindhi, Sunil Ramani alias Sunil Ado and Lalchand Khanani alias Lalu Sindhi.
Salim Sheikh is lodged at Lajpore Central Jail in Surat.
Four others – Kailash Maheshwari alias Kailash Rathi, Joginderpal Sharma alias Fauji, Dilip Prajapati alias Dilip Marwadi and Dalbir Singh – are still absconding.
Harjani was shot at when he left from Vrundavan Township in Harni area after a party. Nine rounds were fired of which eight had hit Harjani.
In its chargesheet, the detection of crime branch (DCB) had said that Kalpesh, Anthony, Sanjay, Omi, Viju, Lalu, Sunil, Kailash, Fauji, Dilip and Dalbir had joined hands to bump off Harjani.
They had hired Sheikh and Ghausi from Ratlam on contract to fire at Harjani. Raju and Bharatsinh were accused of lending logistics support and getting sim cards.
While Kalpesh, Anthony, Sanjay and Omi feared for their lives as Harjani had threatened to kill them, other six allegedly joined in the conspiracy because the gangster wanted to raise his stakes in the liquor trade across Gujarat.
The chargesheet stated that it was during a meeting at Banswada in Rajasthan that Harjani wanted to take over the entire liquor trade, much to the chagrin of others, who also had high stakes in the illicit business.
Initially, eight of them were booked and arrested and later Viju, Lalu and Sunil were arrested and all 11 were tried together. “The court has acquitted all giving them benefit of doubt. More details will be known only when we get a copy of the judgement,” said Rajesh Singh, one of the advocates who represented the accused.
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