INDIA. HIGH COURT OVERTURNS DEATH SENTENCES HANDED DOWN TO MONKS FOR MURDER

the Gujarat High Court, India, commuted the death sentences handed down to four swami’s into life imprisonment and acquitted a fifth defendant in the case. The acquitted monk was Swami Ghanshyam whilst those sentenced to life were Narayan Shastri, Swami Shrijicharan, Swami Madhav and Vijay Bhagat
The five had originally been sentenced to death by the Nadiad Fast Track Court for the murder of Swami Gadadharanand of Vadtal Swaminarayan temple. The Swami was kidnapped on May 3,1998 and later murdered by the other monks of the temple. His body was then taken to a village in Rajasthan where it was doused with petrol and set on fire.