HC upholds man's life-term for killing cashier during robbery

The Delhi High Court has upheld the life sentence awarded to a man by a trial court for killing a cashier while committing robbery at an electricity power distribution company here six years ago.
A division bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Siddharth Mridul dismissed the appeal of Dharmender Kumar Pal and upheld the trial court's verdict.
Pal was posted as a guard at NDPL zonal office New Rohtak Road, where the robbery and murder took place in 2007.
The court accepted prosecution's claim that Pal had shot dead Pramod Pathak, a cashier at NDPL office, and took Rs 2,75,000 from the office.

"On consideration of entire evidence and material appearing on the record, we find that motive is apparent and also stands reasonably proved. The cash of Rs 2,75,000 was found missing from the place and was recovered from the appellant shortly thereafter.
"The appellant has not given any reasonable or plausible explanation about the possession of the cash...It can therefore be concluded that the prosecution has been able to establish that the appellant committed the offence with the clear motive to commit robbery," the bench said.
"The motive for the offence completes the link in the chain of incriminating circumstances that stand established against the appellant. The appellant (Pal) reported for duty on the day of occurrence with a view to commit robbery. In the process, he voluntarily caused the death of the deceased (Pathak)," the court said.