Gujarat court acquits two in 1998 kidnapping of industrialist Gautam Adani

Ahmedabad, Dec 1: A trial court here has acquitted two accused in the case related to 1998 kidnapping of Gautam Adani, founder-chairman of Adani Group, giving them the benefit of doubt.

Sessions Judge D P Gohil acquitted Fazl-ur-Rehman and Bhogilal Darji on Friday. Adani did not turn up to give his statement against them, saying that his deposition regarding six other accused who were tried earlier may be taken into consideration.

Also, none of the witnesses in the case could identify the duo. As per the charge sheet filed by police, on January 1, 1998, Adani and Shantilal Patel were abducted at gun point after they left Karnavati Club here in a car and headed for Mohammadpura Road. They were taken to an unknown place in a car before being released, the charge sheet said.

While Rehman was arrested from the Indo-Nepal border in 2006, Darji was arrested and deported from Dubai in 2012. The court had in 2005 acquitted six other accused in the case for lack of evidence.

PTI