Three cops get life term for murder

A Delhi court on Thursday sentenced three Delhi police personnel to life imprisonment for abducting and murdering two men in a fake encounter in Uttar Pradesh in 2006. The court said their act was a “stark illustration of protectors turning predators”.

A Delhi court on Thursday sentenced three Delhi police personnel to life imprisonment for abducting and murdering two men in a fake encounter in Uttar Pradesh in 2006. The court said their act was a “stark illustration of protectors turning predators”.

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“This case is a stark illustration of alarming increase of the criminal behaviour in the police force where the protectors are predators,” Additional Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma said.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.30 lakh each on convicts Ashok Kumar and Surajpal and Rs 1.50 lakh on Sudesh Rana, besides the prison term.

Out of the total fine, the court directed that a sum of Rs 1.50 lakh each would paid to the family of the victims.

It had on July 12 held them guilty of murder, abduction and criminal conspiracy for killing Zulfikar (28) and Nazakat (26).

The court refused to show leniency to the convicts, saying they had abused their position being the policemen but said the act did not fall in the rarest of rare category to earn them death penalty.

“The convicts were in active police service. They abused their power in getting the deceased abducted and got them eliminated. They not only tarnished the image of the organisation but also eroded the credibility of the police force in general,” the court said.

All the accused policemen were posted at Operation Cell of the north District here.

They abducted Zulfikar and Nazakat from Ghaziabad court and killed them at a place here under Timarpur police station on July 31, 2006.

According to the prosecution, constable Ashok Kumar had a grudge against the duo who were accused of killing his younger brother Digamber in 2004.

Kumar conspired with the other accused, including the then Assistant Sub Inspector Pramod Kumar Tyagi, who could not be arrested and was declared a proclaimed offender, and killed the victims.