'Adnan's killers should be hung twice over'

Mumbai: After almost five years, Aslam Patrawala, father of deceased teenager Adnan, is hopeful that justice will be delivered. The Lokhandwala-based family has impatiently waited for this day, when four of Adnan's friends, accused of kidnapping and mercilessly killing the 16-year-old, will be handed the verdict.

Judge S A Deshmukh of the Sessions Court will complete the dictation of the judgement, and the accused are likely to face life in prison.

The alleged killers, Sujit Nair, Ayush Bhat, Rajiv Dharaiya, Amit Kaushal and Khimesh Ambawat, who have been on trial since 2007, will then be taken into custody.

Adnan's father, Aslam Patrawala says that first the police and later the prosecution did a fair job of investigating and nabbing the accused. He is hopeful that there will be a positive verdict delivered in the case. Here's what he had to say about Judgement day.

Excerpts:

Q: What is your opinion on the case the prosecution has built?

Aslam Patrawala: I think the prosecution has done a wonderful job in presenting the case. The police have worked hard to try and secure a conviction.

Q: What is your expectation from the court? Any aspects of the case you worry will lead to an acquittal?

Aslam Patrawala: I am not worried that they will be acquitted. Even though the case is circumstantial, I am sure there will be a positive verdict. But what they really deserve is death. In fact, if I could have them all hung to death twice over, I would do that.

Q: Do you think the trial has dragged on for too long?

Aslam Patrawala: That is the sad thing about our judicial system. There are too few judges and the system is overburdened. Look at what happens abroad, sentences are handed down within days. Then look at what is happening with Qasab's case.

Q: Do you blame the media for its role in your son's death?

Aslam Patrawala: I feel now that it was my son's fate and his time had come. The media cannot be blamed, as it is a Fundamental Right of the people to have a free press. But I do wish some law were passed so that there is some delay between the media receiving information and broadcasting it. Why should they immediately have to know everything? The police should have at least some time to do their jobs peacefully.

Key Points:

Prosecution

• A garment dealer who had stopped by on Palm Beach Road had spoken to the accused as they lifted an apparently unconscious Adnan from the back seat. He was told that the boy was drunk. After reading about it, he approached the police.
• Dias' testimony says that he overheard the accused sitting together and plotting the kidnapping. When he confronted them, they told him it was a joke.
• A pair of blood-stained jeans belonging to Nair was recovered from his house.

Defence

• There is a contradiction in Aslam Patrawala's statements, which seem to place him at the spot where the body was recovered, and at the police station simultaneously.
• The prosecution has not produced the call records corroborating Aslam's statements about the ransom calls.
• A friend who was present with Dias when he overheard the accused was not examined.
  
• There is no one to corroborate what Dias heard.
• Call records also show that one of the accused was not even present at Inorbit mall when this incident took place.
• On August 19, 2007, TV channels had reported that Adnan's body had been found. This is inconsistent with police claiming that Nair led cops to Adnan's body. Medical reports are also silent on his time of death.
• None of the evidence directly implicates the accused. The case is circumstantial.

Defence says

Advocate Ashish Chavan, who represents Sujit Nair, the accused who led police to the location of Adnan's body said, "The minimum punishment for the crimes which they are charged with is life. Therefore, leniency cannot even be argued for at the time of sentencing, not even by pointing out that the accused are young or are first time offenders."

The case

On August 19, 2007, Adnan Patrawala was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by his friends -- Sujit Nair, Ayush Bhat, Rajeev Dharaiya, Amit Kaushal and Khimesh Ambawat. The accused had kidnapped Adnan and asked for a ransom of Rs 2 crore. However, when the police got wind of the ransom call, the accused panicked and killed Adnan in Navi Mumbai. They dumped his body near Palm Beach Road.