Yug’s parents, social bodies demand death for killers

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 10 

While the District and Sessions Court has held all three accused in the Yug murder case guilty and the parents of Yug and social organisations are demanding capital punishment for them, only one of 105 witnesses turned hostile and attempts were made to bribe policeman by the accused.

The convicts — Chander Sharma (28), Tajender (30) and Vikrant (24) - have been held guilty under Sections 302 (murder), 201 (disappearance of evidence/false information), 347 (wrongful confinement to extort property) and 364 (kidnapping for ransom) of the IPC and the sentence will be pronounced on August 13.

A constable, who was constructing his house at Bharari, was offered Rs 5 lakh by the key accused but he refused to accept it. It has been mentioned in the charge-sheet filed against the accused. One of the key witnesses Krishan Dutt, president of Bhanoti panchayat, who was present when the skeletal remains of Yug were recovered from the water tank at Kelston on August 22, 2016, remained firm and appeared as witness.

As per records obtained from mobile towers, the location of the convicts was traced thrice on June 21, 2014, near the water tank where Yug was dumped and the timing of the last record was 11.26 pm. The diatomic report revealed that he was dumped alive as water was found in his bones, which was only possible if the person had drowned, said District Attorney Randip Singh Parmar.

Servant of Vinod Gupta (Yug’s father) Hari Om had revealed that Chander asked him that the kidnappers had demanded Rs 3.6 crore at Ambala, a day after the ransom letter was received. Only Vinod Gupta and his close ones were aware of the content of the letter which raised suspicion.

Two videos of Yug were also extracted from the mobile of Vikrant (gifted to him by Chander). In the first video, Yug was seen saying, “Papa mujhe bacha lo” and in the second, the voice of the boy was not heard.

Major evidence against convicts

• Blotting papers, a letter pad, used for seeking ransom, and one slipper of Yug were recovered from House No. 22 in Ram Chandera Chowk, where the child was kept after kidnapping.
• Bank details of Vikrant through which Rs 25,000 was transferred as rent to the owner of the house.
• Vikrant’s mobile with background, handwriting on ransom letter, verification of ink and pen used and other scientific evidence.