Man sentenced to death for killing BSNL officer

A local court Thursday sentenced a 45-year-old man to death for brutally killing a senior BSNL officer at her residence here in 2015.

Additional district judge (ADJ) court imposed a penalty of Rs 30,000 on Lalchand, who was a former driver of the victim, Public Prosecutor Nityendra Sharma said.

Judge Rajendra Bansiwal held him guilty of murder and sentenced him to be "hanged until death".

The court took a serious note of brutal nature of the crime. Swati Verma, 35, was survived by a four-year-old daughter and a handicapped husband, the public prosecutor said.

Lalchand had stabbed Verma to death in August 2015 when she was locking the main gate at night after parking her car inside. She had sustained at least 15 knife injuries.

The convict, a native of Manhorethana area in Jhalawar district, worked as her driver but was asked to leave a few months prior. He was given full payment and compensation but he nourished a grudge against her that led him to commit the brutal murder, he said.

The CCTV footage of cameras installed around the woman's residence was used as evidence during the trial, Sharma said, stressing that electronic media played a vital role in the case.