Court awards life term in minor’s murder

Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, May 31: Principal Sessions Judge Kathua, Sanjeev Gupta today awarded rigorous life-imprisonment to Rattan Kumar who was facing trial in murder of two and half year- old child five years ago.
The convict had killed the minor boy Rohit Pandita, one of the two sons of Seema Devi, resident of Ram Nagar Colony, Ward number 18, Kathua, for whom the former had developed liking and wanted her to elope with him.
During the course of investigation, it was established that accused and husband of Seema Devi used to work as labourer at Chenab Textile Mill (CTM) Kathua, and both of them were friendly to each other. Husband of Seema Devi was residing with his family at Ward No.14, Ram Nagar Colony, on rent. The accused was a regular visitor to their house and developed a liking for Seema Devi. Before the occurrence, accused had asked Seema Devi to run away with him to some other place, however, she spurned his offer.
On 23.5.2013, when Seema Devi had gone to market near CTM factory along with her two children, the accused came on spot and kidnapped the deceased. Thereafter, he contacted Seema Devi on her mobile phone and told her to accompany him. Despite repeated phone calls made by Seema Devi, accused did not return her child and insisted upon her to come to the Railway Station, Kathua. On the refusal of Seema Devi to accompany him, the accused got enraged and in a fit of anger, he took the deceased to Maggar Khad near Jagotra and killed him on the same day by strangulation and threw the dead body in the bushes.
Principal Sessions Judge Sanjeev Gupta, after hearing PP BB Sharma for the State and Advocate T N Gupta for the accused, ordered that convict be sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life and also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000/- under section 302 RPC. In default of payment of fine, the convict shall undergo simple imprisonment for six months. The convict was further sentenced to undergo a rigorous imprisonment of five years and a fine of Rs.10,000/- under Section 364 RPC. However, both the sentences shall run concurrently.
Court also observed that State should be burdened to provide monetary assistance to the family of victim out of its own funds, because it is the protector of life and property of its citizens being their custodian. “Therefore, in my view, a compensation of Rs 2 lakh will be just and reasonable amount for providing financial assistance to the family of victim, which shall be paid within one month by the Member Secretary,” he ordered.

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