E-Paper
Agra court awards death to man, two sons in double murder case
The case was registered under sections 498A (cruelty by husband or relatives), 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with sections 3/4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, on a complaint filed by Pooja’s mother. The accused named in the FIR were Gaurav (husband), Abhishek (brother), Madan Singh (father-in-law) and Neelam (mother-in-law).
A local court has awarded the death penalty to a man and his two sons in a double murder case. The deceased included Pooja, the wife of main accused Gaurav, and Shivam, Gaurav’s cousin. The court of additional district judge (Court No. 26) found that Gaurav, along with his brother Abhishek and father Madan Singh, killed the two on suspicion of an illicit relationship between Pooja and Shivam.
“The gruesome murders took place on May 27, 2022, in the Sushil Nagar locality under the Itimad-ud-Daula police station limits in Agra. An FIR was registered the same day. The charge sheet was filed on September 8, 2022, and charges were framed on April 17, 2023. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday (March 25) by ADJ Amarjeet,” Mohit Pal, additional district government counsel (ADGC), said.
The case was registered under sections 498A (cruelty by husband or relatives), 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with sections 3/4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, on a complaint filed by Pooja’s mother. The accused named in the FIR were Gaurav (husband), Abhishek (brother), Madan Singh (father-in-law) and Neelam (mother-in-law).
In an order dated March 25, the court held Gaurav, Abhishek and Madan Singh guilty of murder, while acquitting Neelam, stating that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against her beyond reasonable doubt.
Mohit Pal said the court convicted the three under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC and awarded the death sentence, directing that they be “hanged till death”.
The court also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on each of the three convicts, to be paid to Pooja’s parents. It observed that the crime fell in the “rarest of rare” category and had sent shockwaves through society, warranting the strictest punishment.
The accused had called Shivam to their house and beat him to death after killing Pooja. A video of the crime had also circulated.
The court observed that the father should have restrained his sons instead of joining them in the crime, reflecting cruelty on the part of the family.
As per procedure, the death sentence awarded by a sessions court requires confirmation by the high court before it can be carried out. A copy of the judgement is forwarded to the high court and the convicts also have the right to appeal against the order.
