Jamnagar court sentences man to life imprisonment for kidnapping, murder of minor

A Sessions Court in Jamnagar has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the abduction, kidnapping for ransom, and murder of a 16-year-old boy in a case that dates back to 2016.

The court found accused Mayank Sanghani guilty in the kidnapping and murder of Karan Thadeshwar, who went missing on August 31, 2016, after leaving to meet the accused.

According to the prosecution, Karan's father received text messages from his son's mobile phone demanding a ransom of ₹2 crore. The messages were accompanied by an image of the victim. Karan's body was later recovered from a commercial property near Bhanu Petrol Pump on Ranjit Sagar Road in Jamnagar.

During the trial, the prosecution relied on scientific evidence, CCTV footage, and testimonies from 30 witnesses. CCTV footage showed the victim and the accused together on the day of the incident, while forensic evidence linked Sanghani to locations in Virpur and Rajkot, where he allegedly fled after the crime.

Medical evidence presented before the court confirmed that the victim died due to strangulation using a ligature.

Based on the evidence, the court convicted Mayank Sanghani under Sections 302 (murder), 364A (kidnapping for ransom), and 404 (dishonest misappropriation of property) of the Indian Penal Code. The defence challenged the circumstantial evidence, but the court held that the prosecution had established an unbroken chain of circumstances proving the accused's guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

The court subsequently sentenced the accused to life imprisonment.