Karan Jadeja: ‘Lesser’ son of godmother Santokben

He is considered a 'crybaby' by the police and is believed to have a weakness for the good life. But Karan Jadeja, second son of late Santokben Jadeja, the Porbandar godmother, allegedly has a crime record to match that of his elder sibling, Kandhal.

Karan was recently in the news after he was arrested by the Porbandar police in a case of extortion. Later, he was handed over to the Vastrapur police who wanted to question him for hiding his identity when he was arrested on April 23, 2012 having liquor at a hotel.

Much earlier, Karan was a named accused in the murder of Keshu Odedara, a BJP councillor of Porbandar, who was shot dead on March 1, 2005 at Kadia plot in the town. However, he was acquitted by a Porbandar sessions court in February 2011.

In December 2011, Karan was again in the news when he was acquitted by a Rajkot sessions court of the murder of his sister-in-law Rekha Jadeja.

The circumstances surrounding the murder of Rekha highlight, as few cases do, the amoral nature of the world of crime. The criminal values that determine who survives and who does not in the underworld, come to dominate even relations within families involved in illegal activities.

Rekha, wife of Kandhal, was shot dead at her residence in Rajkot early in the morning of May 29, 2006. Karan was missing at the time as he had gone underground.

What had led to Rekha's murder is still a mystery. It is believed that Karan was at loggerheads with his sister-in-law over her handling of the family's finances. Sources said that Rekha had been looking after the family's money with Santokben's approval.

It is alleged that Karan used to spend Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh each day as pocket money. His spendthrift ways had allegedly brought him into conflict with Rekha who had stopped giving him money. Sources say that this might have angered Karan.

On July 26, 2006 (about two months after Rekha's murder) Karan was nabbed by the Mumbai crime branch from near a bar in Bandra. Sources said that he was found sitting on the footpath and eating Vada pav at the time of his arrest.

Yet Karan is believed to be the trusted lieutenant of Kandhal who now head the underworld empire of their late mother. Santokben was 61 when she died of cardiac arrest at her residence in Porbandar on March 31, 2011. At the time of her death, Karan was in Jamnagar jail as an accused in the Rekha Jadeja murder case.

The police, however, continue to insist that Karan is not as dangerous as Kandhal. In 1998, he had fled Porbandar and come to Ahmedabad after a political leader began to harass him in his native city. According to Karan's statement before the Vastrapur police, he had come to Ahmedabad as he was being harassed by Babu Bokhiria, an alleged member of Porbandar's mining mafia.

In Ahmedabad, he started a pool parlor near Law Garden where he lived in an apartment owned by his family. During his stay in the city, he was beaten up by one Hargovind Tiger and had to be admitted to hospital. After that incident, Karan wound up his business in Ahmedabad and, in 1999, went back to Porbandar where joined Kandhal once again.

Vastrapur police say that Karan doesn't look like a gangster from any angle.

"He is around 5 feet tall and would weigh no more than 55 kg. He had cried twice before us when he was caught having liquor at a hotel this year," said Naimkhan, PSI of Vastrapur police.

Those who know Karan say that he had managed to survive with the help of Kandhal. Karan is married and the couple has two children - a 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son who studies in an English-medium school in Porbandar.

Karan is 38 and has three brothers - Kandhal, 40, Kana, 36, and Bhoja, 34. Sources said that only Bhoja, the godmother's youngest son, had always stayed with her while the other sons had trooped in and out of jail. Santokben had been running Porbandar's most powerful crime syndicate since 1986 when her husband, Sarman Munjha, was killed in a gang war. She continued to rule the coastal city's underworld till 1990 when she was elected MLA from the Kutiyana assembly seat. She remained MLA till 1995.

It is said that after becoming an MLA, Santokben had shifted her focus from illegal activities to the more honourable trades of construction and land deals. Sources allege that Kandhal had become head of her empire after her death and had allegedly targeted disputed land across Saurashtra region. With the help of Karan, he had allegedly expanded his activities to cities like Mumbai and Ahmedabad and had made a lot of money by buying and selling property.

There are 13 criminal cases against Karan in  the state. The offences include murder, attempt to murder, extortion and cheating. Police say that, till date, he has spent some 6 years behind bars.