Gujarat man gets life in jail for killing partner at bus station

Chargesheet was submitted in court on October 4, a month after the incident on September 3; trial was completed in a month

A court in Gujarat's Bhavnagar on Thursday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for thrashing his 40-year-old partner at a bus station, which caused her death, just a month after the chargesheet was filed in the case.

Principal Sessions Judge Rizwana Bukhari convicted Faisal alias Khatki Rafik Lakhani for the murder of Kajal Baraiya, who lived with him on a footpath for the last eight years as his partner.

The brutal assault on the woman in the busy bus station in the city had caused a public outcry, prompting the police to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by DySP R R Singhal.

During the crime scene reconstruction, police had flogged Lakhani at the same spot, with officials claiming that it was done to appease public sentiment. A video of the flogging had gone viral on social media.

A statement from Bhavnagar Police said, "Lakhani was on Thursday sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life. This marks the first instance in Bhavnagar district in which a trial was concluded with such speed, resulting in the sentencing of the accused within just 31 days."

According to the prosecution, Lakhani, who faced a string of cases, including robbery and other serious offences, was back after serving a jail term and was suspicious of the woman having an affair with another acquaintance of his.

On September 3, Lakhani had allegedly accosted Kajal and their mutual friend Ravi alias Boda Rajendra Gohel, at the main gate of the Bhavnagar ST bus stand, accused them of having an affair and assaulted both of them, which was recorded in the CCTV camera. Kajal was declared dead on the same night at Sir Takhtasinhji General Hospital.

The police said, "Lakhani hurled verbal abuse at her, beat her indiscriminately with his fists and feet, grabbed her by the hair, and smashed her head against a wall and tiled floor. Furthermore, by striking her on the head, neck, and torso, he inflicted grave injuries, which resulted in her death."

According to the police, the chargesheet was submitted in the court on October 4, just a month after the incident.

The state government has appointed Utpal Dave as Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) in the case.

The statement, shared by Bhavnagar SP Nitesh Pandey, said, "Based on the compelling legal arguments presented by SPP Utpal Dave, along with the precise testimonies provided by the complainant, eyewitnesses, and other witnesses, the charges against the accused were proven beyond a reasonable doubt before the court. Consequently, on October 5, 2026, the accused, Lakhani, was sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life."

The police also noted that Lakhani had allegedly abducted a key eyewitness of the incident and held him captive for three days to prevent him from testifying in court. The witness was later rescued and produced before the court to provide testimony. A separate case was registered at the Nilambag Police Station regarding this matter, police said.

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi called it a "landmark verdict" and hailed the Bhavnagar Police for the swift investigation in the case.

In a post on X, Sanghavi, who also handles the Home portfolio, said, "62 days. Life imprisonment until the last breath. In the Kajal Baraiya murder case in Bhavnagar, swift investigation by Bhavnagar Police and a strong prosecution led to a landmark verdict. Gujarat's zero tolerance for crimes against women is clear."