A Surat court has sentenced a 62-year-old man to death for the 2019 murder of a young businessman, citing his long history of violent crimes involving acid attacks. The court noted that this was the third serious crime in which the accused had used acid, and described the case as one of the “rarest of rare” deserving the maximum punishment.
The convict, Bechar Kakadiya, was found guilty of murdering 23-year-old Yash Doshi, the son of his business partner, in a pre-planned and brutal attack carried out in Gujarat’s Surat in 2019.
Court records revealed that Kakadiya had a disturbing history of violent offences involving acid. In 1999, he killed his brother-in-law, Shantilal, by throwing acid on him during a family dispute. He was convicted in that case and sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in a case registered at Varachha police station.
While out on parole in 2004, Kakadiya was again involved in an acid attack. He allegedly threw acid on his wife, Bhavna, and another brother-in-law, Dhansukh. Both survived the attack, and a separate case was registered against him at Katargam police station.
After serving part of his prison sentence, Kakadiya was granted early release. He later entered the zari business and became a partner of Kirti Doshi. According to the prosecution, tensions developed between the two men after Kakadiya believed that Kirti Doshi owed him Rs 15 lakh.
The dispute eventually led to a deadly act of revenge. On March 28, 2019, Kakadiya purchased acid commonly used in diamond processing and travelled to Yash Doshi’s office in the Pandesara area of Surat. Investigators said he first threw acid on Yash and then repeatedly stabbed him, killing him on the spot.
Following the attack, Pandesara police registered a murder case and arrested Kakadiya.
During the trial, Assistant Public Prosecutor Tejas Pancholi argued that the murder was carefully planned and motivated by a desire to take revenge on the victim’s father. The prosecution presented CCTV footage that allegedly showed Kakadiya wearing gloves and carrying out the attack. Testimonies from workers present at the unit were also produced as evidence.
Pancholi told the court that scientific evidence confirmed Yash’s death was caused by the acid attack. He further argued that the accused had followed the same pattern he used in the 1999 murder of his brother-in-law and therefore deserved the harshest punishment.
The defence sought leniency, highlighting Kakadiya’s religious and social activities. However, the court was not convinced.
After hearing both sides, Fourth Additional Sessions Judge Jayeshkumar Shrimali observed that Kakadiya had repeatedly committed serious and anti-social crimes and had shown a continuous pattern of violence over many years.
The judge stated that there appeared to be no possibility of improvement in the accused’s criminal mindset and that strict punishment was necessary to prevent future offences.
Considering his criminal history, repeated use of acid in violent crimes, and the brutality of the 2019 murder, the court classified the case as the “rarest of rare” and sentenced Bechar Kakadiya to death under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
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