Man gets life term for friend’s murder

Rajneesh Lakhanpal

Our Legal Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 27

Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Kumar Singla has convicted Rajat Kumar, a resident of Tibba Road, on charges of murdering his friend Mandeep Singh, alias Deepi, of Guru Arjun Dev Nagar.

He was sentenced to undergo rigorous life imprisonment. A fine of Rs 1 lakh was also imposed on him.

However, the court acquitted his co-accused Shuvam Kumar (convict’s brother) and Naveen Kumar, both residents of Tibba Road.

Initially, the deceased’s brother Ranjinder Singh had lodged a missing report with the Division No. 7 police. Later on, the body of his brother was found in the area that falls under the Phillaur police station.

The complainant had named almost all members of the accused’s family, including his grandparents. Some of them were declared innocent by the police during investigation. There was no direct evidence against the accused. The case was based on the ‘last-seen’ theory. According to the prosecution, the deceased was last seen in the company of the accused. During trial, the accused pleaded that they were innocent. But after appreciating the evidence on record, the court found Rajat Kumar guilty.