Dispute over ₹200 leads to murder, Ahmedabad court sentences accused to life imprisonment

In a case highlighting how a minor financial disagreement escalated into a fatal confrontation, the Ahmedabad Sessions Court has sentenced Suleman Shaikh to life imprisonment for the murder of Nathulal Jodha near Gujari Bazar on September 6, 2022.

The court found Shaikh guilty under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and imposed a fine of ₹10,000. In case of default, he will have to undergo an additional six months in jail.

According to the prosecution, the incident occurred in the early morning hours when Shaikh demanded the return of ₹200 he had lent to the victim, Nathulal Jodha. When Jodha failed to repay the amount, a verbal altercation broke out, which quickly turned violent. In a fit of rage, Shaikh allegedly picked up a large concrete stone and struck Jodha on the face, causing severe injuries that led to his immediate death.

Postmortem examination revealed 14 injuries on the victim's body, many of them on the head and neck region.

Doctors opined that the injuries were consistent with being struck by a heavy blunt object like a concrete boulder or big stone, resulting in significant blood loss and proving fatal.

The court relied on the testimony of 14 witnesses and 20 documentary pieces of evidence. The investigating officer had seized the stone used in the crime, and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report corroborated that the injuries were caused by the recovered weapon.