‘Godmother’ Santokben held for murder

The gangster was taken to Porbandar under heavy security and will be produced before a magistrate there tomorrow. Santokben, who hails from Kutyana town in Rajkot district, has been on the run since the murder. Two of her sons — Karan and Kandal — were arrested in connection with the murder on March 3 as they tried to flee to Mumbai by road.

Santokben, who wanted to get even with Odedra for killing an aide in 2001 following a land dispute, got her sons to kill the councillor in the wee hours of March 1. She fled to Mumbai along with an aide, Kana Odedara, after the murder.

Porbandar SP Vipul Agrawal said police teams sent to Rajkot had been keeping a vigil near Santokben’s house. “In the evening, we received a tip-off that she was at a hospital and when our teams reached there, they found her leaving in a vehicle. It was intercepted and she was arrested,” he said.

Santokben was immediately taken away in a police vehicle.

During interrogation, the gangster said she was admitted to hospital two days ago for orthopaedic treatment. She said she had come back to Rajkot after her sons’ arrest but would change her locations frequently. However, a leg ailment made her return to the city for treatment.

Odedra was shot dead by Santokben’s sons from point-blank range while he passed through Kamlabaug in Porbandar on March 1, 2005. Odedra died on the spot while his cousin Rama Kara sustained bullet injuries. Kara later identified the assailants as Karan and Kandhal.