Haren Pandya case: HC drops murder charges against all accused

[1983-2011]

Slamming the CBI for its "washed up" and "blinkered" investigations in the 2003 Haren Pandya murder case, the Gujarat High Court Monday dropped murder charges against all the 12 accused in the case. However, the charges of attempt to murder will remain on all the accused. This means the appeal of the accused in the sensational murder case is partially allowed, Special public prosecutor JM Panchal said. A division bench of the high court comprising justices DH Vaghela and JC Upadhyay said the investigations by the central agency in the case were "washed up, blinkered and had left lot to desire." Criticising the CBI, the court further said the investigating officer should be made accountable for such lapses which has caused injustice to the accused and wastage of public resources. It said the investigation agency could not prove murder charges hence the conviction by the trial court, where the accused were convicted of murder with criminal conspiracy would not survive hence the order is set aside. Panchal said that following the court verdict, the sentence of the most of the accused except the prime accused Ashgar Ali is likely to be reduced. Pandya, former Minister of State for Home, was shot dead on March 26, 2003, near Law Garden area of the city when he had gone for a morning walk. The CBI stated in its charge sheet the murder was carried out to avenge the 2002 riots. A special POTA court convicted 12 accused in the case out of total 15 who were nabbed. The court had sentenced nine persons to life imprisonment while two others were awarded seven years prison and another was handed out a five-year-jail term. The main accused from Hyderabad, Ashgar Ali was sentenced to remain in prison till he is alive. http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_haren-pandya-case-hc-drops-murder-charges-against-all-accused_1580819 what fu***d up judiciary we have that it takes 9 years to decide whether someone is guilty or not. The CBI has wasted 9 years of these 12 mens lives. Government should compensate these 12 men and issue official apology. there are so many cases where people are locked up and still awaiting for trial for number of years. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Was it Tulsiram Prajapati who killed Haren Pandya? Who killed Haren Pandya? This is the question that has been uppermost in people's minds ever since the Gujarat high court acquitted all the 12 people who were earlier convicted of the murder by the trial court. Sources in the state police said on the condition of anonymity that Tulsiram Prajapati, a close aide of the gangster, Sohrabuddin Sheikh, was allegedly used to kill Pandya. The sources further claimed that the entire conspiracy to kill Sohrabuddin and Tulsiram in fake encounters was hatched after the murder of Pandya. Sohrabuddin was allegedly assigned the task of killing Pandya by some influential people. "Sohrabuddin first contacted Asgar Ali for the job but Ali refused," a source claimed. The source, who was in contact with Ali after he was arrested for the murder of Pandya, claimed that when he (Ali) refused to kill the BJP leader, Sohrabuddin allegedly handed over the task to Tulsi Prajapati. The source further claimed that Tulsi had allegedly carried out the murder and was even rewarded for this by Sohrabuddin. However, the alleged conspirators at whose behest Pandya was killed began to lose confidence in Sohrabuddin and Tulsiram and, eventually, their equations began to worsen, the source said. The change of power at the Centre after the 2004 Lok Sabha elections gave the alleged conspirators another reason to eliminate Sohrabuddin and Tulsi in fake encounters. "The conspirators feared that if the Pandya murder case was reopened, it could lead the investigators to Sohrabuddin," the source claimed. http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_was-it-tulsiram-prajapati-who-killed-haren-pandya_1581624 lagtay hai, we got a new twist in this kahani, the reasons behind fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh is falling in to the place now

[1983-2011]

Ever since his murder, Pandya's father Vithalbhai Pandya (who passed away three years ago) always maintained that his son was a victim of political conspiracy because he was not on good terms with Narendra Modi.

[WC2011INDIA]

NM has definitely turned Gujarat into an attractive investment destination in India. However, the guy has committed some henious crimes.

[1983-2011]

Milli Council demands fresh enquiry into Haren Pandya murder case New Delhi: The All India Milli Council has demanded fresh enquiry into the Haren Pandya murder case in Gujarat in which 12 accused persons were acquitted by the Gujarat High Court today. Ÿe welcome the H C verdict with a sigh of relief as 12 innocent Muslims have been acquitted of false charges? Milli Council General Secretary Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam said here today. Gujarat minister Pandya was killed in 2003 and a false case was made against 12 Muslims that they had killed him in reprisal against 2002 riots, Dr Alam said. A VHP worker was also attacked at the time. The two cases were clubbed together. A CBI enquiry had indicted the Muslims, but PandyaÃÔ father and wife had rejected the allegations and CBI findings. ůot only the innocent have been acquitted, but PandyaÃÔ father and wife have been proved right in the sense that they never believed the accused were the actual murderers? Dr Alam said. Now that the accused have been acquitted, a fresh enquiry must be ordered to find who killed Pandya on whose orders, he said. ŵhe accused have lost honour, precious seven years of their life in jail and a huge amount of money. They must be compensated for the loss? he asserted. http://twocircles.net/2011aug29/milli_council_demands_fresh_enquiry_haren_pandya_murder_case.html