Two get life term for dacoity, murder of businessman

Two men have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court for committing dacoity and murdering their friend's landlord, who had rebuked him for not paying rent and had asked him to vacate the premises.
District Judge P S Teji awarded the maximum jail term prescribed under section 396 (dacoity with murder) of the IPC to West Bengal natives Rashidul Mian and Basheer Ansari while victim's tenant Sheikh Jahir and two others were absconding.
The court imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on Mian, 21, and Ansari, 27, and said if realised, the amount should be paid to the family of deceased Sheikh Sattar as compensation.

"The motive to commit murder by the accused has duly been established that Zahir (not arrested) was a tenant under Sattar and had not paid rent for several months for which he was rebuked by him and also asked him to vacate the premises if he failed to pay the rent.
"That was the reason, Zahir had a grudge against the deceased and he with the help of both the accused persons and other associates committed the murder of Sattar and also committed dacoity," the court said.
Mian and Ansari were also held guilty by the court for retaining property of dacoity.

According to the prosecution, Sattar who was running a garments shop here, was found murdered in his Gandhi Nagar house here on May 28, 2011 by his brother who told the police that his body was lying on the floor with a tape affixed on his mouth and a cloth tied around his neck with which he was strangulated by the accused persons.
Five accused including Mian, Ansari and Zahir had murdered Sattar at the time of committing dacoity in his house, it had said. Except Mian and Ansari, the other three accused were absconding.