Gurugram: Two get life term for shooting cabbie dead; 3-year sentence for weapon supplier

Gurugram: Two get life term for shooting cabbie dead; 3-year sentence for weapon supplier

Gurugram, The court here convicted two persons of robbing a taxi driver and shooting him dead, sentencing them to life imprisonment, while a third person was sentenced to a three-year term for providing illegal weapons to the assailants, police said.

Gurugram: Two get life term for shooting cabbie dead; 3-year sentence for weapon supplier

According to the police, on March 24, 2022, information was received at Pataudi police station that a man's body was lying on Palasoli Road near Mau Lokri village, with a gunshot wound in the head.

A search revealed a driver's license, which identified the deceased as Rakesh Gurjar, a resident of Alwar in Rajasthan.

Rakesh, a taxi driver by profession, drove an Eco car and had left with passengers on March 23 night, but never returned.

Investigation revealed that the accused had rented Rakesh's taxi by posing as passengers. On the way, asked him to stop the vehicle at a secluded location where they they first tried to snatch the car keys, before shooting Rakesh dead.

The accused then fled from the spot with the car and the deceased's mobile phone. The car was later found abandoned in Nuh area, police added.

During the investigation, an accused named Hitesh alias Honey initially arrested in connection with another case confessed to the cabbie's murder during interrogation.

Based on his statement, another accused Pankaj was arrested from Mumbai. A country-made pistol, the weapon used in the crime, was recovered from his possession. A report from the Forensic Science Laboratory later confirmed that the bullet recovered from the deceased's body was fired from the same weapon.

Third accused Kuldeep, who supplied the illegal weapon, was also arrested. All the accused were subsequently sent to judicial custody, police said.

During the trial, the prosecution presented 32 witnesses and various evidence including forensic reports before the court, they added.

"The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Puneet Sehgal convicted and sentenced all three accused on Monday. Pankaj and Hitesh alias Honey were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and robbery," a senior police officer said.

Kuldeep was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for providing weapons and destroying evidence. The court also ordered Pankaj and Hitesh to pay a compensation of ₹1 lakh to the victim's family, he added.

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