1998 Adani abduction case: Court finally frames charges

Adani Group owner Gautam Adani (above) had allegedly been kidnapped by Fazlu-ur-Rehman and Bhogilal Darji, with the help of other accomplices for ransom.

Sixteen years after the incident took place and more than four years since the chargesheet was filed, Ahmedabad district court on Monday framed charges against underworld gangsters Fazlu-ur-Rehman alias Fazlu and Bhogilal Darji in the alleged kidnapping of Gautam Adani, the owner of Adani Group.

In 1998, Adani was allegedly kidnapped by Fazlu and Darji, with the help of other accomplices for ransom. Additional district magistrate M C Tyagi framed charges against the duo under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 365 a (kidnapping), 144 (unlawful assembly) arms act among other charges. Both the accused were present in court during the proceeding. Darji is out on bail and staying in Ahmedabad, while Fazlu is lodged at Tihar Jail in New Delhi.  Fazlu was brought here for the court proceeding.

Fifty-three-year-old Fazlu is one of the most-feared extortionists and underworld don, who is said to be a rival of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, while Darji is still considered a close associate of Dawood. Fazlu’s lawyer Kunal Shah said the chargesheet in the case was filed in 2009 and since then the matter is pending in court.

He said that in the FIR, the police didn’t name any of the accused and it states that five to six unidentified people were involved in the incident. After some persons were arrested, the names of Fazlu and Darji were revealed. The matter will be heard against on September 29.