2003 Valentine’s Day Murder | ‘Habitual offender’: Ahmedabad sessions court rejects bail of Tarun accused of killing wife Sajni

The court order noted that DGP P M Trivedi opposed the bail application arguing that the accused has “no genuine reason” for seeking the bail. The DGP submitted, “The present accused has committed serious offences… no genuine reason or ground has been mentioned in the bail application on the basis of which the accused is seeking temporary bail… Furthermore, the applicant-accused is a habitual offender and (on) earlier occasion also he (has sought) temporary bail but thereafter he misused the same and did not surrender himself in the stipulated time period…”

The court also noted that the father of the deceased victim appeared before the court and filed a written objection with supportive documents “wherein (he) vehemently opposed the present temporary bail and submitted that the present applicant-accused, who had committed “serious and grave offence” upon the victim and even her father. The father of the deceased also submitted his objection stating that Jinraj had “created a false and forged identity in the name of his friend, Praveen Bhateley, and by using the same had travelled to various countries.

On an earlier occasion also, the applicant-accused had “jumped  temporary bail, absconded and was subsequently arrested from Delhi, where he had again created a false and forged identity in the name of Justin Joseph…” the written objection states.

The court also noted submissions that Jinraj had previously threatened witnesses in the case and therefore “there is apprehension that applicant-accused will influence or intimidate the said witnesses if released on bail. Considering such grounds, the present temporary (bail plea) should be outrightly rejected…”

Stating that the offences committed were of serious nature and punishable with imprisonment of more than seven years, the court said, “…the grounds mentioned in the bail application by the applicant-accused appears to insufficient as well as flimsy when counterweighted with the charges leveled against him… in earlier occasion also he was granted the temporary bail but thereafter he misused the same and did not surrender himself in the stipulated time (before the Investigating

Officer concerned)…”

The court order states,”Moreover, it has also come on the court that the accused absconded for the period of 15 years and thereafter he was arrested. Therefore, looking at such conduct of the applicant-accused there may be ample chances that he will misuse the liberty of concession of temporary bail.”

Jinraj, after his arrest in 2018, had also approached the Sessions Court seeking temporary bail to deal with the “financial crisis” faced by  his mother. While the bail pleas were rejected by the sessions court and the Gujarat High Court (HC), Jinraj was granted bail by the Gujarat HC on July 20, 2023, on the ground that he had to travel to Bengaluru to withdraw his Provident Fund money. After being released from prison on August 4, 2023, Jinjraj had disappeared and did not abide by the condition of informing the police about his whereabouts.