Man gets life term for killing students’ union president

A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering a students’ union president of a Delhi University college 14 years ago. The court, which awarded the sentence, termed it a “rare” case.

A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering a students’ union president of a Delhi University college 14 years ago. The court, which awarded the sentence, termed it a “rare” case.

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Additional sessions judge Kamini Lau sentenced Jitender alias Kalla for murdering Anil Badana, the then president of Satyawati College students’ union, and made it clear that he would not be considered for any remission till he spends 30 years in jail.

“I am of a considered opinion that this case cannot be put on the same pedestal as other ordinary murder cases. It is also true that punishment in every case does send a message to the community at large. Thus, besides a number of other factors to be considered one of the relevant factor... is the sentiments of community or the message which may travel to the community at large and the fact that it may deter similar other such like offenders,” the judge said.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 4 lakh on Kalla, who is in jail for the past 13 years, and said if the amount is realised, Rs 2 lakh should be given to the victim’s family.

According to the prosecution, Kalla had shot dead Badana, 26, at a wedding function under Keshav Puram police station on March 10, 1999. Kalla was harbouring ill-will against Badana, as the latter was going to depose against him in a criminal case, it said.

Kalla had also injured the bridegroom’s father while opening fire indiscriminately as wedding guests tried to nab him, it said.

One of the eyewitnesses, Sumit Nayyar, who had informed the police about the incident, had to pay a heavy price as Kalla immediately went to his house at Mukherjee Nagar to kill him. Since Nayyar hadn’t reached home that day, the accused pumped three bullets in the chest of his father.