India

Bhavnagar Court Sentences Faizal Lakhani to Life for Murder of Live‑In Partner

By HT Correspondent

A Bhavnagar sessions court in Gujarat convicted Faizal alias Khatki Rafikbhai Lakhani to life imprisonment for the murder of his live‑in partner, Kajalben Dilipbhai Baraiya, at the Bhavnagar ST Bus Stand. The verdict was delivered by district and sessions judge R.V. Bukhari just over two months after the September 3 attack. The prosecution, led by Special Public Prosecutor Utpal Dave, presented eyewitness testimony, CCTV footage, forensic evidence and a post‑mortem report from Sir T. Hospital, all of which the court found proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt. The case was registered by Nilambag Police on September 4 and the charge sheet was filed on October 4 by a Special Investigation Team headed by Range Inspector General Rajendra Asari, with Superintendent of Police Nitesh Pandey and Deputy Superintendent of Police R.R. Singhal. Police said the investigation was completed in 31 days, a first for the district. According to the complaint, Kajalben was attacked between 3 pm and 4 pm at the main gate of the bus stand. Her mother, Bhaguben, told police that the couple had lived together on the footpath near the bus stand for about eight years and often quarreled. An eyewitness recounted that Lakhani arrived, accused Kajalben of having a relationship with the eyewitness while he was in jail, then kicked and threw her onto the tiles, causing her death at Sir T. Hospital. Police also noted that Lakhani, a native of Vartej who lived on the bus‑stand footpath, had been involved in five to six earlier cases, including loot, violence and assault on police, and had been released on bail with the victim’s help shortly before the murder. The press statement added that the accused had arranged the kidnapping of a key eyewitness and kept him confined for three days to prevent him from testifying; a separate case was registered and the witness later deposed in court. Days after the murder, during the reconstruction of the crime scene, police flogged Lakhani at the same spot, an action claimed to appease public sentiment. A video of the flogging was widely shared on social media. Gujarat minister Harsh Sanghavi posted on X: “62 days. Life imprisonment until the last breath. In the Kajal Baraiya murder case in Bhavnagar, swift investigation by Bhavnagar Police and a strong prosecution led to a landmark verdict. Gujarat’s zero tolerance for crimes against women is clear.”