The prosecution linked the 2006 killing to Trivedi’s efforts to expose financial irregularities in Swadhyay Parivar
A local court has sentenced ten individuals to life imprisonment for the 2006 murder of Pankaj Trivedi, an NRI professional from Cincinnati, USA, who was killed after exposing alleged misappropriation of foreign aid meant for 2001 Gujarat earthquake relief by influential members of a socio-religious sect, reported hindustantimes.com.
Trivedi, a longtime follower of Swadhyay Parivar, was fatally attacked after raising concerns over financial misconduct.
Trivedi, 43 years old at the time of his murder, was ambushed near Gujarat College on June 15, 2006. His attackers, armed with baseball bats and iron rods, brutally assaulted him before fleeing, leaving him gravely injured. The prosecution argued that his murder was directly linked to his efforts to expose financial irregularities in Swadhyay Parivar, a spiritual and socio-religious movement founded by Pandurang Shastri Athawale.
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The prosecution stated that Trivedi played a key role in facilitating foreign donations for relief efforts in Gujarat
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However, after raising concerns about financial discrepancies within the organization, he faced growing hostility from members of Swadhyay Parivar
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His efforts to seek answers from Dhanshree Talvarkar, daughter of Swadhyay Parivar’s founder, were ignored
The court convicted the 10 accused under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 302 (murder), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 149 (offence committed in pursuance of common object), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy), along with Section 135(1) of the Bombay Police Act.
Those sentenced to life imprisonment include:
- Chandrasinh Manubha Jadeja
- Hiteshsinh Rameshsinh Chudasama
- Dakshesh Hasmukhlal Shah
- Bhupatsinh Narubha Jadeja
- Mansinh Arjan Vadher
- Ghanshyamsinh Pathubha Chudasama
- Bharatbhai Vijaybhai Bhatt
- Bharatsinh Dilubha Jadeja
- Chandrakant Meghjibhai Daki
- Jashubha Dolubha Jadeja
All ten convicts were followers of Swadhyay Parivar, an organization that has a strong presence in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The court, in its 436-page verdict, strongly condemned the use of power and influence to suppress the truth and hinder justice. Additional Sessions Judge BB Jadhav noted that several key witnesses, affiliated with Swadhyay Parivar, attempted to mislead the court by providing false testimonies, which was a clear attempt to derail the judicial process.
The trial, which spanned over a decade, began in 2012, with evidence presented from 2014 onwards. The court reserved its judgment earlier this month before delivering its verdict.
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