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Jalandhar college principal murder | HC upholds life term to 3 convicts
Jalandhar college principal’s murder : The high court bench of justice Sureshwar Thakur upheld the life sentence awarded to Ramandeep, Mohammad Kadus and Mohammad Rehman while dismissing their appeals. However, the court said that sentences would run concurrently and not consecutively as awarded in March 2011 by the trial court.
The Punjab and Haryana high court has upheld the life sentence awarded to three convicts in the murder case of a Jalandhar college principal, Rita Bawa, and three others, in January 2008.
The high court bench of justice Sureshwar Thakur upheld the life sentence awarded to Ramandeep, Mohammad Kadus and Mohammad Rehman while dismissing their appeals. However, the court said that sentences would run concurrently and not consecutively as awarded in March 2011 by the trial court. The court however, allowed appeal of Bhuto Yadav and acquitted him of charges. He was awarded six years’ jail term.
The court also took strong exception of the fact that accused Sachin Yadav, Ram Kumar, Manoj Yadav, and, Ganesh Swarnkaar, were declared as proclaimed offenders in November 2008 but have not been arrested. It directed the senior superintendent of police, Jalandhar, to ensure, that they are arrested, and made to face the trial.
Kanya Maha Vidyalaya (KMV) principal Rita Bawa, 59, who lived alone, was brutally killed on the intervening night of January 5-6, 2008 at her residence on college premises. Her three employees, Kishore Kumar Mandal, working as a cook, Shamsudeen and Tarsem Lal working as chowkidars were also found murdered on the premises.
The court concluded that convict, with a motive to commit burglary, had committed the murder. With the recovery of the gold articles that was ably connected to the deceased, the motive of the crime becomes cogently established, the court added.
