Fatal gutka row: 24-year-old gets life in jail for killing friend

Surat: A sessions court has sentenced a 24-year-old man to life imprisonment for murdering a man during a quarrel over gutka and a cigarette in Dindoli in 2023.The court of the additional sessions judge relied on circumstantial evidence, the last-seen theory, and extra-judicial confessions made before witnesses while convicting the accused, as only the victim and the accused were present at the scene during the incident.According to the case details, the incident occurred on Jan 8, 2023, when the victim, Mahendra Banga, and the accused, Akash Patel, were sitting in a ground near Nandanvan Township. Banga asked Patel for gutka and a cigarette. Patel refused, saying he had no money. This led to an argument after Banga accused him of offering gutka and cigarettes to others but refusing him.The quarrel soon escalated into heated arguments and abuses. In a fit of rage, Patel pulled out a knife and stabbed Banga to death.Dindoli police arrested Patel shortly afterwards. Police inspector RJ Chudasma led the investigation, collecting scientific and other evidence before filing the chargesheet on March 23, 2023.During the trial, the court examined circumstantial evidence along with witness testimonies that supported the last-seen theory."Circumstantial evidence proves that the accused committed the murder. The accused failed to provide any explanation that could establish his innocence. Witnesses had seen both the victim and the accused sitting together on a mat before they left to get kite manja prepared, establishing the last-seen theory," the court observed.The court also noted that the accused had voluntarily confessed before witnesses that he stabbed the victim with a knife, and that the confession appeared credible. Further, biological and serological reports confirmed that the victim's ‘B' blood group was found on the clothes of the accused, strengthening the prosecution's case.The court sentenced Patel to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000.