Adnan Patrawala murder: HC issues notices to 4 acquitted

The Bombay high court on Wednesday issued notices to the four youngsters who were acquitted on charges of kidnapping and murdering teenager Adnan Patrawal in 2007.

A division bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and A R Joshi was hearing an appeal filed by Maharashtra government and the 16-year-old victim's father Aslam Patrawala challenging an order passed by the sessions court in January this year acquitting all the four accused due to lack of evidence.

The four accused -- Sujit Nair, Ayush Bhat, Rajiv Dhariya and Amit Kaushal -- were acquitted after the sessions court found no substance in the case of the prosecution.The high court has posted the appeal for hearing on July 25.

According to prosecution, Adnan, belonging to an affluent family, had befriended the accused persons through a social networking site and accompanied them to a game parlour in suburban mall on August 18, 2007.

The four accused had allegedly hatched a conspiracy to kidnap Adnan and demand Rs 2 crore ransom from his family. Soon after receiving a call from them, Adnan's family informed the police after which his body was found a day later in Navi Mumbai.