Uttar Pradesh strongman Dharam Pal Yadav, who was convicted of killing Mahendra Singh Bhati in 1992, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the CBI court in Dehradun. On February 28, Yadav was found guilty of murdering Bhati, sitting MlA from Dadri in Ghaziabad. Yadav was convicted along with three other accused, Karan Yadav, Praneet Bhatti and Pal Singh, who had surrendered on February 28.
Special Judge, CBI Cases, Dehradun on Tuesday sentenced DP Yadav former Rajya Sabha MP and three others, Karan Yadav; Pal Singh alias lakkarpala and Praneet Bhati to undergo life imprisonment. The court had directed three of them, DP Yadav, Karan Singh and Praneet Bhati, to pay Rs1.15 lakh each as penalty while lakkarpala was asked to pay to Rs45, 000, it is learnt.
The court pronounced the quantum of punishment 23 years after the incident. Sameer Bhati, son of Mahendra Singh Bhati said he was happy that the verdict had been delivered finally. “I am happy with the quantum of punishment too,” he said. Bhati and his close friend Udai Prakash Arya were gunned down by assailants on September 13, 1992 at the Dadri railway crossing. Another person, OP Kayal, was injured in the firing. Bhati, who was travelling in a Maruti car, was peppered with bullets in what was believed to be a part of the gang wars in western Uttar Pradesh. After an initial probe, the case was moved to the CBI and the premiere investigative agency took it up on September 10, 1993. In the charge sheet that was submitted in 1996, the CBI named eight people, including Yadav, in the murder case. Four of the accused have died in the interim, with the case dragging on for over two decades.
Yadav, Karan Yadav and Bhatti have been convicted under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. Singh was also found guilty under Section 27 of the Arms Act. With the quantum of punishment being slated to be pronounced on Tuesday, the court premises were agog with excitement. A large crowd gathered and those present included advocates, media persons and onlookers. All the convicts were sent to Suddhowala jail after the sentence was pronounced.
The followers of DP Yadav, stopped media persons, especially photo journalists, from taking photos of Yadav being brought to the court and prevented reporters from asking him any questions related to the case. Earlier, Yadav tried to evade court hearings and submitted a medical report seeking exemption from appearance in court. But after pronouncing him guilty, the CBI court directed the agency to arrest him and produce him before the court. Complying with the court’s directions the CBI conducted three raids at his Ghaziabad residence but could not trace him. However, on Monday DP Yadav himself surrendered in the trial court. The court took him into judicial custody and awarded him life imprisonment on Tuesday.
