In a shocking verdict, five family members in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of a man following a village panchayat dispute in March 2024.
Key Points
- Five family members in Azamgarh, UP, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for a murder that occurred in March 2024.
- The victim, Pankaj, was attacked with sticks and an axe after being summoned to a village panchayat.
- The court also imposed a fine of Rs 37,000 on each of the convicted family members.
- Police filed a chargesheet against all accused, separating the case of a minor involved and sending it to the Juvenile Justice Board.
A court in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district has sentenced five members of a family to life imprisonment in a nearly two-year-old murder case.
Special Sessions Judge Jainuddin Ansari, after completing the trial in the murder of a man named Pankaj, convicted Guddu Bharti, Nikhil Bharti, Jang Bahadur, Vansh Bahadur and Gulabi, wife of Jang Bahadur, and awarded them life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 37,000 each.
The prosecution said that the complainant, Kiran, a resident of Bag Lakharav village under Sidhari police station area, had alleged in her complaint that on March 21, 2024, Guddu Bharti had called her husband Pankaj to attend a village panchayat.
Around 11 am, she was informed that Pankaj was being assaulted. When she rushed to the spot, she saw Guddu alias Kailash, Nikhil Bharti (sons of Jang Bahadur), Vansh Bahadur and Jang Bahadur (sons of Algu), along with Gulabi and a minor, attacking Pankaj with sticks and an axe, the prosecution said.
The accused fled the spot after Kiran raised an alarm, and Pankaj succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital.
After completing the investigation, police filed a chargesheet against all the accused in the court. The case against the minor was separated and sent to the Juvenile Justice Board, the prosecution said.
Assistant district government counsels Nirmal Sharma, Om Prakash Singh, Avinash Rai and Virendra Yadav examined eight witnesses during the trial.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court held the five accused guilty and pronounced the sentence, it added.
