Thane man sentenced to life for 2016 murder

A court in Thane, Maharashtra, has sentenced a 30-year-old man to life imprisonment for a murder that took place in 2016. The man, Ajay Lalbahaddur Vishwakarma, was found guilty of killing Jay Prajapati. The court also ordered a five-year rigorous imprisonment term, which will run at the same time as the life sentence. The case involved the victim going missing after he told his father he was at Bhayandar railway station. Later, messages demanding ₹15 lakh for Prajapati's release were sent from his phone. Despite extensive searches by his family and the police, he was never found alive. Eventually, his body was discovered in mangroves, wrapped in a motorcycle cover. Prosecutors presented forensic and digital evidence linking Vishwakarma to the murder. Sixteen witnesses, including medical officers and the victim's family, testified during the trial. Some witnesses faced delays in coming forward, which led to minor discrepancies in their accounts. However, the judge found the evidence credible enough to convict Vishwakarma. The judge noted that while the prosecution could not prove a ransom demand or the other accused's involvement, it did establish a motive based on personal enmity. Key factors in the conviction included the discovery of the victim's body and an extra-judicial confession made by Vishwakarma. The court determined that capital punishment was not appropriate for this case. Sanjay Firatlal Goutam, a co-accused, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence to prove his involvement in the crime. His presence at the railway station, captured on CCTV, did not establish his role in the murder.