Vadodara, Gujarat – A special children’s court in Vadodara has delivered a life sentence to a man for the brutal stabbing murder of his school junior, an incident that dates back to 2018. The perpetrator, who was a Class X student and 16 years and 6 months old at the time of the crime, was notably tried as an adult after the Juvenile Justice Board determined he understood the ramifications of his actions.
The verdict, announced on Thursday, February 6, by Additional Sessions Judge and Special Children Court Shakuntala Solanki, brings a conclusion to the case that shocked the community.
The tragic event unfolded in 2018 when the victim, Dev Tadvi, was repeatedly stabbed in the head and chest within a school washroom in Vadodara’s Baranpura area. Tadvi had only joined the institution two days prior to his untimely death.
Initially held at a zonal observation home due to his age, the convicted individual was transferred to Vadodara Central Jail in 2023 after he reached 21 years of age, marking a transition in his detention status.
According to the prosecution, the murder was pre-planned. The accused, who had been reprimanded by a teacher two days before the incident, allegedly conceived the scheme to force the school’s closure. He randomly selected Tadvi as his target. The court highlighted the accused’s preparation, noting he had carried pepper powder and a knife to school, demonstrating a clear mental capacity to execute such a crime.
School staff, alerted by screams, rushed to the washroom to discover Tadvi lying in a pool of blood. The accused was subsequently seen fleeing the scene with a knife and was apprehended shortly thereafter. He was charged under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and section 135 of the Gujarat Police Act.
The extensive trial, conducted at the special children’s court, meticulously examined 20 witnesses, including eyewitnesses and expert testimonies, along with 42 pieces of documentary evidence before reaching its definitive judgment.
The Juvenile Justice Board’s crucial decision to try the accused as an adult was based on an assessment of his mental and physical status, confirming his understanding of the consequences of his actions. The court reiterated in its verdict that the nature of the crime itself showed clear intent, awareness, and a full comprehension of the repercussions by the perpetrator.
