Additional District and Session Judge Dhanjaya Chaturvedi awarded life-term to the serial killer Rasheed alias ‘Budda’ and his associate Himansu Thapa on Friday regarding 2010 Varun Pandey murder case.
In addition, they would undergo seven years’ imprisonment under Section 302 and two years’ imprisonment under Section 201 of Indian Penal Code in the same case. The sentences under different sections of the Indian Penal Code will run together, as per the judgment.
According the prosecution, Varun Pandey, son of Mahendra Nath Pandey, resident of Kaljikhal in Pauri district, was a teacher in a State-run school, Jalandhar (Punjab). On July 30, 2010, Varun left Punjab for his home. On reaching Kotdwar, he took a taxi for Kalijikhal early morning on 31 July. But he did not reach home.
Varun’s father lodged a missing diary at Kotdwar police station Kotwali. Investigation on, police found Varun’s mobile in the possession of Himansu Thapa, resident of Grastanganj in Kotdwar. The Kotdwar kotwali police arrested Himansu Thapa on August 6, 2010. On the information police gathered while grilling Himansu, police arrested the cab driver Rasheed alias Budda, resident of Grastanganj on 20 August 2010.
Rasheed admitted that he had murdered four persons before he bumped off Varun Pandey. On the information that Rasheed gave, police recovered Varun’s skeleton from Sandhikhal on Duggada- Raghwadhav motor road. The case dragged for around four years. The court found the duo guilty of the murder on 8 April and reserved pronouncement of punishment till Friday.