Chopra murder case: Court acquits three main accused, two convicted

Legal Correspondent

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Jammu, February 2

Principal District and Sessions Judge, Jammu, RK Jain today acquitted three main accused, in the infamous Chopra murder case.

Choudhary Nagar Singh alias Nago, former Member Legislative Council Tarlochan Singh Wazir and his brother Ajaib Singh were absolved of the charges of hatching a conspiracy to kill cement tycoon Rajinder Bushan Chopra along with his family members in 2006.

While acquitting the accused, the court observed: “Before coming to the appreciation of the evidence adduced by the prosecution on merits, I may observe that the motive has to be gathered from the surrounding circumstances and such evidence should form one of the links to the chain of circumstantial evidence.”

“The proof of motive would only strengthen the prosecution case and fortify the court in its ultimate conclusion, but in the absence of any connecting evidence or link which would be sufficient in itself from the face of it, the accused cannot be convicted. Motive is best known to the perpetrator of the crime and not to others,” the court stated.

Accused Sangram Pardi and Nanju, however, were found to be involved in the murder and the court will pronounce the sentence against them on February 5.

Chopra, his wife Madhu, daughter Saloni, driver Jagan Nath and servant Sonu were found murdered on September 18, 2006, at their residence in sector three of Trikuta Nagar residential area here.

The prosecution had charged the five accused with murdering the family, alleging business rivalry between the two families.

The gruesome murder of the family had sent shivers through the entire city and the police had arrested all the accused following the public outcry.

The court said: “It is clear that the deliberate acts of violence by accused Sangram Pardi and Nanju, in furtherance of the criminal conspiracy hatched by them, upon the persons of Rajinder Bhushan Chopra, Madhu Chopra, Saloni Chopra, Jagan and Sonu which resulted in the death of the said is culpable homicide amounting to Murder.”

“Accused committed the offence knowing it to be so imminently dangerous that it must in all probability cause death, or such bodily injury as is likely to cause death and committed the offence without any excuse for incurring the risk of causing death or bodily injuries,” it said.

“The accused are not covered by any of the exceptions to Section 300 RPC and the act of the accused resulting of death of Rajinder Bhushan Chopra, Madhu Chopra, Saloni Chopra, Jagan and Sonu is murder punishable under section 302/120-B RPC,” the court stated.