BMC sweeper gets life term for killing brother-in-law

Sessions court recently sentenced a BMC sweeper to life imprisonment for stabbing his wife’s brother to death. The convict, Rajesh Boricha, and the victim, Vinod Mokhra, had a quarrel after the wife of the accused complained to the victim, her brother, that she was being ill-treated by her husband

MUMBAI: Sessions court recently sentenced a 48-year-old BMC sweeper to life imprisonment for stabbing his brother-in-law to death in January 2020 at Boricha Road in Dhobighat. The convict, Rajesh Boricha, and the victim, Vinod Mokhra, had a quarrel after the wife of the accused complained to the victim, who was her brother, that she was being ill-treated by her husband.

Mumbai…22nd November 2011…News… Bombay Municipal corporation headquarters in Mumbai…HT photo by Hemant Padalkar (Hindustan Times)

As per the FIR, Boricha’s wife wanted her two bothers to talk to her husband about it. The deceased, along with his brother Giridhar Mokhra, went to the house of the paternal aunt of Boricha to speak to him. They subsequently entered into a scuffle outside the building, located in JK Boricha road, Dhobighat, in which Boricha stabbed Vinod on the left side of his chest and his head with a knife.

The prosecution mainly relied on the deposition made by Vinod’s brother Giridhar, who is the prime witness, that Boricha was carrying a knife and stabbed Vinod. Giridhar also said that there used to be frequent quarrels between his sister and Boricha.

The court, in a detailed order passed on December 6, observed that Giridhar’s deposition is reliable, which proves that the accused had stabbed the deceased with a knife.

The defence submitted that the investigating officer did not record evidence of any independent witnesses. However, the court observed that non-examination of independent witnesses by prosecution is not grounds to disbelieve the entire case of the prosecution.

“The accused had clear intention to commit murder, or he had knowledge that the injuries caused by him by stabbing would be sufficient to cause death of deceased Vinod,” observed judge NG Shukla. “The accused is found guilty of the offence of murder of deceased Vinod. He is liable to be punished for the offence u/s.302 of IPC,” said the court, sentencing Boricha to life imprisonment and directed him to pay a fine of ₹5,000.