Haren Pandya murder case: One convict sent to jail by court

A special POTA court on Thursday sent one of the prime accused convicted in the 2003 murder of Gujarat's then Home Minister Haren Pandya to judicial custody at Sabarmati Central Jail.

Ahmedabad (Gujarat):One of the 12 accused, whose conviction was restored by the Supreme Court in the 2003 Haren Pandya murder case, was on Thursday sent to Sabarmati Central Jail by a special POTA court.

Asghar Ali was brought here by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from Hyderabad where he was lodged in a jail in another case.

Pandya was the home minister in the then Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government. He was shot dead on March 26, 2003, near Law Garden in Ahmedabad while he was out for a morning walk.

Special Judge for Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) MK Dave remanded him in judicial custody.

Last month, eight other convicts in the murder case were sent to jail by the court following their surrender.

Since Ali was in Hyderabad jail, the CBI secured his warrant and brought him here on Thursday.

The Supreme Court had restored the conviction of 12 people in the case.

Ali and eight others are now behind bars while three have completed their sentence.

The Apex Court on July 5 this year, set aside the Gujarat High Court's decision which had absolved the accused of murder charge.