Patan Sessions Court commutes the sentence of former Mithigharial Mandal minister in a graft case: Patan Sessions Court orders two separate sentences of a magistrate court to serve two separate sentences simultaneously, Rs 1.35 crore misappropriation

The Patan Sessions Court has issued an important legal order in the case of financial embezzlement of more than Rs 1.35 crore in Mithighariyal Seva Sahakari Samaj Limited in Chanasma taluka. The Chanasma Magistrate Court had ordered former minister Kirtikumar Patel to serve two rigorous imprisonment sentences of 3 years each sentence one after the other. Accepting the appeal against the order, the sessions court ordered the execution of both the sentences simultaneously and reduced the jail term from 6 years to 3 years. Financial embezzlement of Rs 1.35 crore Kirtikumar Patel, who was serving as a minister in the Mithighariyal Seva Sahakari Society of Chanasma from 2018 to 2023, misused his position. He found the cash balance of the society of Rs 1,12,63,660 and interest of Rs 22,63,779 and used a total amount of Rs 1,35,27,431 for personal use. The accused had made false notes by committing irregularities in the cash matches as well as in the books of accounts. On the basis of the complaint of the society president, the Chanasma police registered a case and filed a chargesheet in the court after investigation. Conviction by the magistrate court The Judicial Magistrate of Chanasma tried the case on March 12, 2025 and convicted the accused, Kirtikumar Patel. The court sentenced him to 3 years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 for financial breach of trust. It also ordered 3 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 for irregularities in the books of accounts. The trial court ordered the two sentences to be served one after the other and the accused had to spend a total of 6 years in jail. Appeal arguments in the Sessions Court Against the order of the magistrate court, the accused filed an appeal in the Patan Sessions Court through Advocate M. V. Patel. The defence submitted that the magistrate had not given any clear reason behind the execution of the two sentences separately. On the other hand, public prosecutor S. H. Thakkar argued that the accused should not get any relief as it was a serious financial irregularity. Revised order of the Sessions Court Sessions Judge of Patan, H. S. Mulia, keeping in view the legal provisions, observed that the sentences should be served simultaneously in an incident involving the same incident. The Sessions Court upheld the conviction as the trial court did not give a valid reason to execute the sentences separately. The Patan court granted legal relief by passing an amended order to serve both the sentences together for 3-3 years.