22 June,2011 06:36 AM IST | | Salil Urunkar
On the very first day of trial in the Sagar Sahani murder case, one of the accused, Narayanbhai Govindbhai Jamerai (50) of Porbandar in Gujarat, turned approver. Sagar Sahani (22), son of Nigdi-based businessman Satinder Sahani, was kidnapped and murdered in August 2005.
Trial begins
Jameria was produced before Special Judge S S Gadge on Tuesday. He identified Nitin Shantilal Modha (31), Jitendra Shantilal Modha (36), Bhiku Dayaram Thanki (42), Ajay Parvat Gadvi and Samant Boga Gadvi, all from Gujarat, as the five culprits in the murder case. Jameria was the driver of the vehicle in which the suspects had kidnapped Sagar. Nitin Modha. Bhiku Thanki was identified as prime accused in the murder case.
Special Public Prosecutor examined Jameria in the special court yesterday. Jameria told the court how he came in contact with the accused persons. Jameria had given his confessional statement before the judicial magistrate court last year. The defence counsel, however, told the court that they have not yet received a copy of Jameria's confessional statement.
The case
Sagar was kidnapped from Dr Ambedkar chowk in Pimpri on August 14, 2005 after which the kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore from his family. Sagar's family paid Rs 15 lakh through havala channels after negotiating with Dubai-based gangster Aabid Ali, but Sagar was murdered on August 24 and his body was found on the Mumbai-Vapi highway on August 26. The crime branch arrested 15 in this case. They were booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), section 302 (murder), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 364 A (kidnapping for ransom) of the Indian Penal Code.
Last month, charges were framed against 11 accused. The police had issued a red corner notice against the 16th suspect Vicky alias Aftab Alam Mohammad Ayub, who is reportedly in Sharjah. Shamsuddin Kunni, a havala operator from Kerala, who was arrested on August 29, 2005, went absconding after he was released on bail. Accused Aabid Ali, now in Hyderabad will be tried separately after he is handed over to the city police. Another suspect Shantilal Modha passed away.
