SRINAGAR: The Court of Principal Sessions Judge, Udhampur, Virinder Singh Bhou, has sentenced five individuals to rigorous life imprisonment in the Chenani murder case in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, arising from FIR Number 135/2020 registered at Police Station Chenani, Daily Excelsior reported.
The convicts—Pahar Singh alias Parshotam, Radha Devi, Harish Singh, Anil Singh, and Arnood Singh alias Rajesh—were tried in Sessions Case (Murder) Number 13/2021 and found guilty of murder under Section 302 IPC, attempt to murder under Section 307 IPC, and other related offences.
According to the prosecution, the incident stemmed from an illicit relationship between Pahar Singh and Radha Devi, opposed by the deceased Vijay Kumar, brother-in-law of Radha Devi, and the complainant Gurdeep Singh, Radha Devi’s husband, Daily Excelsior reported. On the intervening night of December 12-13, 2020, at around 1 am, the accused allegedly broke into Gurdeep Singh’s residence and assaulted Vijay Kumar with sticks, a toka, and an iron pipe. Gurdeep Singh was also attacked but survived, while Vijay Kumar later succumbed to his injuries.
The court, after evaluating the evidence, concluded that the charges of murder and attempted murder were proven beyond reasonable doubt. It further noted that Pahar Singh destroyed evidence, invoking Section 201 IPC, while Anil Singh was found in possession of a toka, leading to conviction under Section 4/25 of the Arms Act.
All five convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment under Section 302 IPC with a fine of Rs 10,000 each. Additionally, they received ten years’ rigorous imprisonment under Section 307 IPC with a fine of Rs 5,000 each, seven years under Section 458 IPC with a fine of Rs 5,000, along with sentences under Sections 147, 148, and 323 IPC. All sentences were directed to run concurrently.
The Union Territory was represented by Public Prosecutors Hemanshu Parkash and Vinay Sharma, while the convicts were defended by advocates Imtiaz Mir, Jahangir Iqbal Ganai, and Obaid Imtiaz.
