Delhi: Man convicted for carrying out 2017 Rohini court killing as a minor

The judgment was delivered by additional sessions judge (ASJ) Amit Sehrawat of the Rohini court, who said the prosecution had proved the case against the minor beyond reasonable doubt.

A Delhi court on Wednesday convicted aminor for the murder of a 38-year-old undertrial, allegedly a member of a rival gang, outside the Rohini court complex in 2017.

Delhi: Man convicted for carrying out 2017 Rohini court killing as a minor

The judgment was delivered by additional sessions judge (ASJ) Amit Sehrawat of the Rohini court, who said the prosecution had proved the case against the minor beyond reasonable doubt.

According to the prosecution, on April 29, 2017, Rajesh alias Kala, who was lodged in Jhajjar jail in Haryana, was brought to the Rohini district court for a hearing. While he was returning to the jail van after his court appearance, the minor who was 17 years old at that time, shot him outside the court complex. The minor was apprehended at the spot by court security personnel.

Police said the minor had come alone to carry out the attack, entered into a criminal conspiracy with two associates, Satish and Raj Kumar, to eliminate members of a rival gang to which the deceased belonged. The two co-accused were tried separately and later acquitted.

In August 2017, the police filed an investigation report before the Juvenile Justice Board, recommending that the minor be tried as an adult.

In a 41-page order, the court noted that three police officials, who were eyewitnesses to the incident, supported the prosecution’s case and stated that the minor was caught with a country-made pistol. The court also relied on the forensic report, which confirmed that the injuries sustained by the deceased were caused by gunshots fired from such a weapon.

The judgement said, “It is a proven fact that the death of the deceased Rajesh has been caused by the minor by firing a gunshot upon the deceased. The said gunshot has been fired from a very close range and it shows the intention of the minor to commit the murder of the deceased”.

Notably, on September 24, 2021, gangster Jitender Mann alias Gogi was shot dead inside a courtroom of the Rohini court premises by two assailants, who allegedly posed as lawyers and were members of the rival Tillu Tajpuria gang. The accused were subsequently shot dead by the police.