Sajni Krishnan murder: Tarun Jinaraj withdraws bail plea in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: Tarun Jinaraj, who was arrested for the murder of his wife, Sajni Krishnan, after being on the run for 15 long years, withdrew his bail application from the Gujarat high court on Saturday after Justice A Y Kogje said he would dismiss the plea.
While Jinaraj's lawyer claimed alibi, the prosecution asserted that Sajni's was a pre-planned murder committed by her husband on Valentine's Day.
Jinaraj, 46, was arrested in October 2018 after the police traced him to Bengaluru. He had been living there after assuming the identity of his former hostel mate, Pravin Bhateley.
Jinaraj's lawyer tried to establish his alibi, submitting that he had gone to meet his brother and then went on to purchase a cake and a teddy bear on February 14, 2003, at the time that the murder took place.
However, what weighed more with the court to express its inclination to reject the bail plea was the state government's submission that Jinaraj had erased his identity and assumed a new one to remain absconding for 15 years.
The government submitted that Jinaraj had gone to his old friend Bhateley and worked for him for a few months.
He stole his identity using his documents and then started living as Bhateley. He went abroad twice, got married and was working under Bhateley's name when he was traced and arrested. The prosecutor argued that if granted bail, there is a possibility that Jinaraj may flee the course of justice.
The prosecution also cited statements by Bhateley and Jinaraj's former girlfriend to argue that it was premeditated murder.
The prosecution submitted that Jinaraj had, on January 23, 2003, declared before his girlfriend that he would do something to Sajni on February 14. After hearing the case, Justice Kogje said he would dismiss the bail plea.
At this juncture, Jinaraj's advocate requested the court to allow him to withdraw the application instead, with the liberty to file it again.
Justice Kogje granted permission to the accused to seek bail after a year and expressed satisfaction at the pace of the trial after perusing the report from the principal district judge.