Home / Crime and Justice / Gutka Quarrel Ends in Life Sentence
Gutka Quarrel Ends in Life Sentence
13 Mar
Summary
- Man sentenced to life for murder over gutka and cigarette dispute.
- Circumstantial evidence and confession secured conviction.
- Incident occurred in Dindoli in January 2023.
In Surat, a sessions court has handed a life sentence to a 24-year-old man for a murder committed in Dindoli during January 2023. The violent altercation began over a request for gutka and a cigarette. When the victim, Mahendra Banga, accused the offender, Akash Patel, of refusing him after offering to others, the argument escalated.
Patel, in a fit of rage, fatally stabbed Banga. The investigation, led by Police Inspector RJ Chudasma, culminated in a chargesheet filed on March 23, 2023. The court's decision was based on compelling circumstantial evidence, including witness testimonies supporting the last-seen theory, establishing that both men were together before the incident.
Further strengthening the prosecution's case were extra-judicial confessions made by the accused to witnesses, which the court found credible. Biological and serological reports also confirmed the victim's blood group on the accused's clothing, cementing the conviction. Patel received a life sentence and a Rs 1,000 fine.
