A local court in Rajkot has delivered a life imprisonment sentence to a 55-year-old man found guilty of murdering his own son. The tragic incident stemmed from a bitter dispute over money related to agricultural land.
Court Delivers Verdict After Detailed Trial
Additional Sessions Judge I B Pathan pronounced Batuk Kukadiya guilty for the murder of his 31-year-old son Mahesh Kukadiya. The court also imposed a substantial fine of Rs 25,000 on the convicted father. This verdict brings closure to a case that shocked the local community in Kanesara village of Jasdan taluka.
How the Crime Unfolded
The murder occurred on the night of March 9, 2023. Mahesh Kukadiya had gone to their family farm to irrigate the fields, a routine task that often required him to stay overnight. When he failed to return home the following morning, his mother Rekha Kukadiya grew concerned and went to check on him.
At the farm, Rekha discovered a person covered with a blanket. Upon lifting the covering, she found her son lying motionless in a pool of blood with a severe head injury. The distraught mother immediately filed a formal complaint at Bhadla police station against her husband the very next day, on March 10.
Police Investigation and Arrest
DSP Kishorsinh Zala of Gondal division explained how investigators grew suspicious when Batuk Kukadiya's mobile phone remained switched off after the incident. During their search operations, police recovered his motorcycle from the outskirts of the village.
Authorities employed modern technology to track down the accused, using drone surveillance in the scrub areas between Bhetsuda and Kanesara villages. This technological approach proved crucial in locating the fleeing father.
The Confession and Motive
During police interrogation, Batuk Kukadiya confessed to the crime. He revealed that he had given agricultural land to his son for cultivation purposes. However, Mahesh refused to share money from the farm produce with his father.
Enraged by this refusal, Batuk struck his son on the head with a wooden stick during an argument. The blow proved fatal, killing Mahesh instantly at the crime scene. Police later recovered the murder weapon, which showed clear bloodstains matching forensic evidence.
Courtroom Arguments and Evidence
The defense team argued that no eyewitnesses had come forward to testify against Batuk Kukadiya. They also pointed out that investigators found no bloodstains on the accused's clothing, suggesting reasonable doubt about his involvement.
Public Prosecutor S K Vora presented compelling forensic evidence to counter these arguments. Both the deceased son and the accused father shared the same blood group "A." Laboratory tests confirmed that blood found on the recovered stick matched this blood group and specifically corresponded to Mahesh's blood.
The prosecution emphasized that Batuk Kukadiya himself had led police to the murder weapon during investigation. This crucial detail strongly established his connection to the crime. Prosecutors further revealed that the father had a history of frequently demanding money from his sons, often resulting in family quarrels and harassment.
Rekha Kukadiya maintained her consistent testimony throughout the legal proceedings, firmly stating that her husband had killed their son. The court found the combined evidence sufficiently convincing to deliver the life imprisonment verdict, bringing a painful chapter to its legal conclusion.
