HC confirms death penalty of 5 who killed three over love affair

The Bombay high court (HC) on Monday confirmed the death sentence of five men convicted in the Nevasa killings case of January 2013. The five were found guilty of

The Bombay high court (HC) on Monday confirmed the death sentence of five men convicted in the Nevasa killings case of January 2013. The five were found guilty of murdering a sweeper — from a Schedule Caste community — and two of his colleagues as the former was in a relationship with a girl from the convicts’ family.

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A division bench of justice BP Dharmadhikari and justice SK Shinde upheld the death sentence of Ramesh Vishwanath Darandale, 47; his brother, Prakash, 42; nephew, Pravin Popat Darandale — whose sister, Seema was in a relationship with Sachin Gharu, the sweeper — and two other relatives, Sandip Kurhe and Ashok Phalke. The bench, however, acquitted one of the convicts, Ashok Navgire, said public prosecutor Deepak Thakare. The seventh accused, Seema’s father, Popat, died during the pendency of the trial.

According to the prosecution, the accused, who belonged to an upper caste family, learnt about the affair between Gharu, who was a sweeper at a college in Nevasa, and Seema, and conspired to kill the former. The accused then devised a plan and killed Gharu and two of his colleagues, Sandip Thanwat and Rahul Kandare, on January 1, 2013. The seven accused were prosecuted for the murder, and a year later — on January 20, 2014 — an additional sessions judge at Nashik found them guilty and sentenced them to death.