Gondal: In a major development in the high-profile Popat Sorathiya murder case, Anirudhsinh Jadeja from Ribda, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment, surrendered before the Gondal court on Friday (September 19). This comes a day after the Supreme Court withdrew the interim stay granted to him.
Supreme Court Twist: Stay Withdrawn
On Thursday (September 18), the Supreme Court had provided temporary relief to Jadeja by staying the surrender order for a week. However, during a fresh hearing on Friday, the court revoked the stay after the opposing side filed its appeal. In the hearing that began at 10:30 am, the court directed Jadeja to surrender by 8 pm on the same day. Abiding by the order, he appeared before the Gondal court in the afternoon. The moment he arrived, a large crowd of supporters gathered outside, while heavy police deployment, including Rajkot Rural LCB and Gondal units, was put in place at the court premises.
Background of the Case
The case dates back to August 15, 1988, when then-Congress MLA Popatbhai Sorathiya was shot dead during a flag-hoisting ceremony in Gondal. Jadeja was convicted in the case and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Recently, the Gujarat High Court struck down the remission of his sentence granted by the state government and ordered him to surrender within four weeks. Challenging this, Jadeja approached the Supreme Court, which initially gave him relief. However, after the apex court withdrew that relief, he had no option but to surrender and serve his sentence.
This latest development has once again stirred political circles in Gondal and Rajkot.