Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): District and sessions courts here on Monday acquitted all the seven accused in the case involving media person Pawan Vidrohi.
Four of seven accused are relatives and friend of Pawan Vidrohi and rest are criminals whom they had hired. Those who have been acquitted include Mukesh Jain (brother-in-law of Pawan), Rajesh Jain (Pawan wife's maternal uncle), Rajendra Jain Ambrapali (business partner) and friend Sunil Bhadauria. Gwalior's criminals and shooters Mewalal, Vijendra and Aarif were also accused in the case.
On 31, July,2007, Pawan Vidrohi and his driver Sardar Singh were killed on JK Road, Bhopal, when they were returning from Vidisha. Malti Jain, mother of Pawan Vidrohi, had demanded CBI inquiry from High Court, which had ordered speedy investigation.
Public prosecutor PC Bedi told Free Press that all the seven accused including three criminals and shooters have been acquitted. The case was handed over to CBI in 2009. CBI had filed challan within three months making all the seven as accused.
The then Superintendent of Police Anant Kumar Singh, in his findings, had commented that relatives had given “supari” to hired contract shooter for murder of Pawan Vidrohi. Uncle Rajesh Jain, Rajendra Jain and brother-in-law Mukesh Jain had hired criminal Sunil Bhadauria following a property dispute and jealousy over Vidrohi's increasing influence.
In return, they offered to lower interest on Rs 10-lakh loan given to Bhadauria, gave him Rs 5 lakh and a bungalow worth Rs 15 lakh. To mislead police, the journalist's relatives staged an ''attack'' on their car by criminals. The accused purchased a Matiz car for Rs 70,000. Bhadauria asked Gwalior's criminals Mewalal, Vijendra and Aarif to come on July 1, 2007. Weapons were placed in the car. On July 3, Rajendra alerted Bhadauria of Pawan's visit to Vidisha district. That night, Matiz followed media person's car. The first bullet, fired on J K Road, proved fatal for driver Sardar Singh and a subsequent volley of shots killed Pawan.
