Death sentence for former Shiv Sena leader in murder case

A court in Ludhiana awarded death penalty to Shiv Sena youth wing chief in Punjab Suraj Ahluwalia for killing a taxi driver three years ago.

A court in Ludhiana on Thursday awarded death penalty to Suraj Ahluwalia, a former leader of the Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) for killing a taxi driver three years ago.

HT Image

Tejinder Bawa, another accused in the case, was given imprisonment for life by the court of additional session judge Mandeep Pannu. A fine of Rs 10,000 was also imposed upon him.

Ahluwalia's security guard, Gurprem Singh, the third accused in the case, was, however, acquitted.

The police had booked the three under Section 302(murder) of the IPC and under various sections of the arms act, on the complaint lodged by Baldev Singh, the cousin of the murdered driver, Kamaljit Singh.

The court observed that though the case does not fall in the category of rarest of rare cases under IPC Section 302, the offence under Section 27(3) of the arms act (using prohibited weapons) is punishable with death.

According to the statement of eyewitness Baldev given in court, Kamaljit was at the office of Neel Kanth taxi stand in Ludhiana's Upkar Nagar area on September 5, 2008, when an argument between Bawa and Kamaljit ensued. Bawa took out his revolver and shot Kamaljit. Ahluwalia also took the gun from his security guard and shot Kamaljit on the head.

Kamaljit died on the spot and his attackers fled.