Dentist sentenced for murder

October 21: A dentist accused of murdering a youth desperate to settle in the United States of America was sentenced to life imprisonment...

October 21: A dentist accused of murdering a youth desperate to settle in the United States of America was sentenced to life imprisonment by the sessions court. Nilesh Patel was murdered on February 8, 1994 in Hotel Aradhana in Grant Road.

Besides section 302 murder, Dr Jagdish Dayabhai Patel has also been charged with 420 cheating. Additional Sessions Judge, A R Joshi fined the accused Rs 10,000 and in default, he will have to serve RI of another year. Patel is currently being tried in another murder case as well.

Both Patel and Nilesh hailed from Bardhwan village in Gujarat8217;s Kheda district. Patel, the only dentist in the village, promised to send Nilesh to the US for Rs 80,000. Patel was paid part of the amount before he brought Nilesh to Mumbai in February 1994.

On February 8, 1994, Patel checked into Hotel Aradhana at Nana Chowk at 5.45 pm under a false name, Ajay Pandit, and a false Rajkot address. Patel left the hotel after a while and returned at around 7.45 pm with Nilesh. The hotel managerwas told that Nilesh would not be staying back at the hotel.

Patel emerged from his room a few minutes later along with a briefcase and left the hotel without submitting the room keys to the manager. He told the manager that he would be gone for a while and that he had left some important documents in the room.

Patel never returned. The hotel authorities waited till 5 pm the next day before opening the room. Nilesh8217;s body was found with several stab injuries. However, his body could not be identified at the time, and after being kept in the JJ Hospital morgue, was cremated on August 30, 1994. Patel had told Nilesh8217;s relatives that Nilesh was in the US and that he would call any time. The murder case was classified as A8217; ie. true but not detected8217;.

Investigations revealed that Patel used his medical knowledge to ensure that Nilesh would not shout for help 8211; he was first stabbed in the testicles and then in the throat. Patel later allegedly murdered Jayshree Patel at a hotel in Kemps Corner on November11, 1994, and was subsequently arrested. Patel8217;s photographs in newspapers caught the attention of Nilesh8217;s relatives, who named him as a suspect. Circumstantial evidence revealed Patel8217;s role in Nilesh8217;s killing.

Public Prosecutor, Kamlakar Samant, appeared for the state.