Three get life term for murdering youth after spat at marriage

A local court here has sentenced to life imprisonment three people who murdered a youth after a minor spat at a marriage ceremony here nearly a decade ago.

Prosecution lawyer Suresh Yadav said that during the nine-year-long trial, the defence attempted to mislead the court by giving false witness, but the court of special judge Anil Kumar Jha, after hearing arguments from both sides, convicted and sentenced Umesh Sharma, Ashok Rawat and Parvinder alias Pintu, besides fining them in the verdict delivered Oct 30.

The Loni police, in its charge sheet, submitted that on Dec 11, 2005 the three accused got into an altercation with Manoj, 25, at a wedding function in Ram Park Extension after he accidentally brushed past them while passing. However, elders intervened and quelled the fight.

However, the three men still plotted revenge on Manoj and the next day (Dec 12, 2005) went to the Ram Lila ground where he was playing cricket with his friends. They first thrashed him and as he tried to run away, followed him and shot him repeatedly till he collapsed and fled thereafter. Manoj was taken to a local hospital where doctors declared him dead.

The charge sheet identified the killers as the three who had an altercation with Manoj at the marriage.

The defence tried to concoct a false story and presented a witness named Leelu who was proved prejudiced when a police complaint was found filed by Manoj against him in an election-related case in the past.

The court also fined the accused Rs.50,000 each, while Parvinder was slapped an extra Rs.10,000 fine under the Arms Act, said Suresh Yadav.