Ahmedabad: A city sessions court on Friday sentenced Montu Gandhi alias Montu Namdar and three other accused to life imprisonment for the brutal killing of Rakesh Mehta, who was attacked in full public view in the walled city area in June 2022.

The other convicts, Vishv Rami, Jayraj Desai, and Sunil Bajaniya, all in their twenties, were also awarded life terms. The court additionally imposed a fine of ₹35,000 on each of the four accused. They were found guilty of charges including murder, criminal conspiracy, and rioting.

According to the prosecution, the accused bludgeoned Mehta with baseball bats in Hajirani Pol, Khadia. Namdar, who had a reputation as a notorious figure in Khadia, had earlier been booked for operating a gambling den. Following his arrest in the case, he had also escaped from police custody and jumped bail in 2024.

While pronouncing the sentence, Additional Sessions Judge B. B. Jadav observed that committing a murder in public view was an extremely serious offence intended to instil fear among citizens. The court termed the killing over a property dispute as a heinous and disgraceful act, stressing that such crimes cannot be treated lightly as they undermine public safety and societal order. DeshGujarat