Life sentence to eight persons in 2013 murder case in Chhattisgarh

A court here has awarded life imprisonment to eight persons, including three members of a family, for the murder of a businessman in 2013.

Additional District Judge Geeta Neware yesterday convicted Shrikishan Agrawal (52), his two sons, Rocky Agrawal (31) and Nitish Agrawal (27), Kanhaiya Das (22), Neeraj Kumar (22), Suny Sidar (23), Bhagdan Chauhan (20) and Mahavir Soni for killing Pramod Agrawal and awarded them lifeimprisonment, Additional Government Pleader Anil Shrivasatav said.

The court also slapped a fine of Rs 1,500 on each of them. If the fine is not paid, the convicts will have to undergo additional rigorous imprisonment of 13 months.

Mukesh Agrawal (36), Sunil Agrawal (35) and Sanjay Agarwal (36) were acquitted by the court citing the lack of evidence, the government pleader said.

On October 24, 2013, a quarrel broke out between businessman Pramod Agrawal and accused Rocky and Mahavir when they were dancing at a birthday party in Kharsia town in the district, he said.

Rocky and Mahavir called their friends and relatives and thrashed Agrawal severely with iron rods before hitting him with a stone and killing him, according to the prosecution.

Kharsia police had filed a charge-sheet under IPC sections 302 (murder), 147 (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly) on December 15, 2014.