3 acquitted, two get life imprisonment

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 24

Sloppy investigation by the Jalandhar Police Commissionerate in the three-year-old murder case of a fruit seller’s son near the Rama Mandi chowk led to the acquittal of three youths, while two youths were sentenced to life term.

The judgment was given by the court of the District and Sessions Judge Raj Shekhar Attri today.

The acquitted accused include Manjinder Singh of Gobindsir of Faridkot, Harish Kumar of Faridkot and Gobind of Bathinda. The two accusedwho got life imprisonment are Ravinder Sharma, alias Bobby, and Bunty, both residents of Jalandhar.

Advocate Darshan Singh Dayal was the defence counsel of the acquitted and the court was satisfied with Dyal’s arguments and announced the acquittal of the three, while it was not content with the arguments of the defence counsel representing Bobby and Bunty, hence the duo was given life term.

On January 2, 2012, Suresh Kumar (30), son of a fruit seller, was shot dead allegedly by the five assailants near Rama Mandi Chowk in the Cantonment area. The deceased was a small money lender and is also a nephew of former councillor Jagidish of the Dakoha locality.

As per eyewitnesses, Suresh, along with his friend Manish, was going home on his motorcycle. Both stopped outside a taxi stand near Rama Mandi and Manish went to buy cigarettes from a nearby vendor.

Suddenly, five motorycle-borne armed youths stopped their bikes near Suresh and attacked him with sharp-edged weapons. One of the youths also took out a gun and fired two shots at Suresh. One bullet hit Suresh in the chest and he fell and died.

The three accused had fled from the spot, but were caught by the Behram police. They also had a fierce encounter with the Behram police and a separate case of attempt to murder was pending in the court against the trio.

Defence counsel Dyal argued in the court that immediately after the attack, the city police was required to perform the “identification parade” of the alleged accused, identified by eyewitnesses, but the police didn’t perform it. Similarly, as per the first information report (FIR), the victim was on bike along with his friend, but the police failed to make his bike as case property, which otherwise should have been done.

Three bullets were found on the body which were not matching with the bullets of the weapons recovered from the accused.

The police also delayed the sending of the recovered weapons for forensic examinationto a laboratory.