UP: Six sentenced to life term in murder, abduction cases

Local courts in three Uttar Pradesh districts have pronounced life terms for six convicts in three murder and kidnapping cases, with police attributing the convictions to effective prosecution under the state’s “Operation Conviction” campaign.

In Meerut, an additional district and sessions court sentenced four members of a family, including a woman’s husband, to rigorous life imprisonment for setting her on fire with petrol in 2020. The prosecution said the incident took place on October 1, 2020, in Machhra village.

The victim, Sanjeet Kaur, succumbed to burn injuries.

Her husband Rajveer Singh, brother-in-law Jayveer, sister-in-law Poonam and mother-in-law Kanakto were convicted in the case and sentenced to life imprisonment. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 8,000 on each convict.

Police said the sentencing followed effective monitoring and prosecution under “Operation Conviction”.

In Etah, a special court sentenced Gudda alias Bintu alias Satendra Kumar to life imprisonment in connection with a 22-year-old kidnapping-for-ransom case.

According to police, the case was registered at Kotwali Dehat police station on July 29, 2004, after a complaint alleged that a person had been abducted and held captive. Following investigation, a chargesheet under Section 364A (abduction) of the erstwhile IPC was filed against the accused in September that year.

Police said the case was taken up on priority under the “Operation Conviction” campaign, and the special dacoity court in Etah convicted the accused on Friday, sentencing him to life imprisonment besides imposing a Rs 50,000 fine on Saturday.

In Pilibhit, an additional district and sessions court sentenced a physically-challenged man, Devki Nandan (46), to life imprisonment in a 2020 murder case.

According to the prosecution, Shanti Das (62) was found dead in a forest near Devhana village on January 23, 2020.

The FIR was initially registered against unidentified persons, but investigation led to Devki Nandan, whose left arm had been amputated from the shoulder.

The prosecution relied on eyewitness testimony and forensic evidence, including a soil examination report from the crime scene, following which the court convicted the accused, sentencing him to life imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs 25,000.