10 get 10-year RI for attack over panchayat land dispute

The court of Nuh’s Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Kumar Verma sentenced 10 persons to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) each in the case of a bloody attack over panchayat land dispute in Sanghail village in 2014. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 31,000 on each convict, failing which they will have to undergo additional imprisonment.

According to the police, the convicts were identified as Deepak (45), Manoj (40), Rajkaran (40), Ravinder (33), Ramkumar (38), Pawan (40), Ajit (43), Satender (36), Rajkumar (38) and Chainpal (72), all residents of Sanghail village. The oldest convict is 72-year-old Chainpal whose three sons Deepak, Manoj and Ajit are also convicts.

According to Sandeep Lamba, Deputy District Attorney of the court of Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Kumar Verma, the incident took place around 4 pm on June 5, 2014 when Chhatar Singh was ploughing the field along with his sons and other family members. Meanwhile, due to an old dispute over panchayat land, Balbir (now deceased), Mahipal, Mukesh, Ajit, Ramu, Deepak arrived with sticks, axes and iron rods and attacked them.

When other family members came to help Chhatar Singh and his family members after hearing the noise, Ravi, Pawan, Rajkaran, Kailash, Birju, Rajkumar, Satender, Avinash, Joginder, Ravinder, Ajit, Manoj, Amit, Pappu etc joined the rival group with weapons. Several people were seriously injured in the attack. Based on the complaint from the victims, the police registered a case. The hearing continued for about 11 years.

District Deputy Prosecutor Sandeep Lamba, who argued on behalf of the prosecution, said that on December 1, the court convicted 10 accused under Sections of armed rioting, gang crime, assault, causing grievous hurt, threat to kill and attempt to murder. On Wednesday the court of Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Kumar Verma sentenced all 10 convicts to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and fines.