Ex-SP MLC Kamlesh Pathak, 9 others sentenced to life in Auraiya double murder case
A special MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya on Wednesday sentenced former Samajwadi Party MLC Kamlesh Pathak, his two brothers and seven others to rigorous life imprisonment in a 2020 double murder case.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each of the convicts, according to a statement issued by the DGP office.
The verdict was delivered under the state's 'Operation Conviction' campaign aimed at ensuring effective prosecution and securing maximum punishment in heinous crimes through continuous monitoring, the statement said.
The case relates to the murder of advocate Manjul Chaubey and his sister Sudha, who were shot dead following a dispute over possession of a temple.
According to the police, a complaint was lodged by Ashish Kumar, a resident of Narayanpur locality, at Kotwali Auraiya police station on March 15, 2020.
The complainant alleged that a dispute had arisen over possession of the Panchmukhi temple located in the locality and the accused shot dead his brother Manjul Chaubey and sister Sudha.
An FIR was registered against Kamlesh Pathak, his two brothers --Ramu Pathak and Santosh Pathak-- and others in the matter, the police said.
The accused were arrested and sent to judicial custody during the investigation.
Investigating officers subsequently collected evidence and filed a chargesheet against the accused before the court, the statement said.
Apart from Kamlesh Pathak, other convicts are Ramu Pathak, Santosh Pathak, Kuldeep Awasthi, Vikalp Awasthi alias Chainu Awasthi, Rajesh Shukla Bhagwatacharya, Avneesh Pratap Singh, Ashish Dubey, Shivam Awasthi and Ravindra alias Lalla Chaubey.
The police said the case had been among the heinous crimes identified under the state government's Operation Conviction campaign, under which authorities are seeking speedy trials and maximum punishment through close monitoring of investigations and prosecution.
