The sessions court on Wednesday sentenced six persons to life imprisonment in connection with the murder case of matka-king Suresh Bhagat, which includes his wife and son. The court had convicted them on Friday.
In the 280-page judgment, Judge S.G. Shete observed, “I am of the opinion that it is not a mere accident. It is a clear case of conspiracy which is mainly based on circumstances. Thereby, prosecution has successfully proved that death of Bhagat and six others was not accidental, but homicidal.”
According to the prosecution, the motive behind the murder was that Bhagat’s wife Jaya and son Hitesh wanted to usurp his property and take over his multi-crore gambling business.
Bhagat, along with five others, was killed on Alibaug-Pen Road near Mumbai on June 13, 2008, when a truck collided with his jeep. Later, the police found out that it was an orchestrated accident planned by his wife Jaya Bhagat and others.
The Mumbai crime branch arrested Suhas Roge, Harish Mandvekar, Kiran Amle, Shaikh Azimuddin, Pravin Shetty, Jaya, Hitesh and Kiran Pujari. Pujari and Azimuddin were granted pardon after they turned approvers.
The prosecution had argued that the accused must be given capital punishment as the case falls under the category of “rarest of rare” category. However, judge Shete observed that, “Even when it has come on record that the crime committed by the accused is of hatching conspiracy and killing Bhagat and six other innocent persons, applying the principles (laid down by the apex court) the case cannot be said to be the rarest of rare case in the circumstances and am of the opinion that punishment of life imprisonment would meet the end of the justice.” The judge also observed that the prosecution successfully proved the hatching of conspiracy as well as the circumstances brought on record. The intention to kill others along with Bhagat is obvious from all the circumstances.