Wanted criminal surrenders

By Our Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR, APRIL 20. Anirudhhasinh Jadeja, the son of a former Gujarat MLA, who was absconding from serving a Supreme Court sentence of life imprisonment in connection with the murder of a former Congress(I) MLA, surrendered before a sessions court judge in Rajkot this morning.

Jadeja was charged with murdering Popat Lakha Sorathiya, then an MLA, more than a decade ago during the Independence Day celebrations in Rajkot. The sessions court, however, held him not guilty but the High Court, on a revision petition filed by the State Government, sentenced him to life imprisonment which was later confirmed by the Supreme Court.

Jadeja, however, was absconding since 1997 when the Supreme Court confirmed the sentence and only recently the apex court had ordered the State Government to take all necessary steps to produce him before the court within eight weeks. The State Government formed special groups of senior police to trace 10 noted criminals which included Jadeja.

Announcing Jadeja's surrender, the Minister of State for Home, Mr. Haren Pandya, described it as a major success of the State police and expressed the confidence that other wanted criminals, including members of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, would be captured soon.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Regional
Previous : Talks with ULFA middle-rung leaders favoured
Next     : Resignations not accepted, says Dhumal