HC rejects accused’s plea for dismissal of charges

Ebha Arjan Jadeja & others allegedly confined a scientist to a coffin-like bed for over 2 years

The Gujarat High Court on Monday turned down the ‘quashing petition’ of a man, who along with others, has been accused of confining a Porbandar-based scientist to a coffin-shaped bed for more than two years. Justice M R Shah rejected Ebha Arjan Jadeja’s plea that the FIR against him should be quashed.
The court’s decision effectively paves way for his arrest. Jadeja, property dealer Hitesh Karavada and others allegedly kept biotechnology scientist Rajan D Killaker in captivity from December 2007 to July 2010 and gobbled up his land and property worth crores. So far, 10 people named in the case have been arrested by the Porbandar Local Crime Branch (LCB).
While opposing Jadeja’s plea on Monday, public prosecutor K P Raval told the court that serious charges had been levelled against him and others.
Raval pointed out that Jadeja was wanted in the case, so his petition, filed in October, should be dismissed. Following the arguments, Justice Shah informed Jadeja’s lawyer that the ‘quashing plea’ would be rejected, forcing the latter to withdraw it.
Killaker’s ordeal — he lived in a coffin-shaped bed for 921 days — came to light after the Porbandar LCB rescued him in July this year. In his complaint, he named Jadeja, Hitesh, Jyoti Karvada, Heera Karvada, Deepak Rathod, John, Alpesh, Lalit, Yadav, Prakash and Vijay.
Killaker, who is unmarried and lives alone, told cops that on December 24, 2007, he visited Hitesh’s residence near near Porbandar airport to discuss a property deal. There, Hitesh struck him with a baseball bat, rendering him unconscious.
When Killaker woke up, he found himself in confinement without his cellphone and other valuables. The scientist has stated in his complaint that Hitesh and others issued death threats and forced him to sign blank documents. They did this to usurp his land and property worth crores.
During the period of confinement, Killaker has claimed, he was subjected to mental and physical torture and he was given little food. His family members did not bother to search for him because he had strained ties with them.
To date, 10 people named by the biotechnology scientist have been arrested.
The accused are facing charges under IPC sections 344, 347, 365, 380, 397, 386, 465, 467, 468, 471, 307 and 120 (B). Jadeja, whose anticipatory bail was rejected by Porbandar district sessions judge on September 27 this year, is likely to be apprehended soon. The case is being handled by LCB inspector Jaydeepsinh Sarvaya.