19 awarded life sentence for 2017 murder of youth in Bihar

Nineteen people were awarded life imprisonment on Thursday by the fifth additional district sessions judge Depankar Pandey on Thursday, for murdering Himanshu, a youth of Gourachakki village under Kajereli police station in Bihar, in June 2017. Himanshu was murdered because he married a girl within his community, and his in-laws did not approve of their relationship.

Naresh Prasad Ram, additional public prosecutor (APP), confirmed awarding life imprisonment to all 19 convicts under sections 302 and 149 of the IPC. Ram said the convicts would concurrently undergo punishment awarded in other sections. He informed out of the 19 convicts, seven have also been found guilty under section 27 of the Arms Act and have been awarded additional rigorous imprisonment of seven years.

The victim was beaten up with lathis and stabbed with sharp weapons and then shot dead, as per the FIR lodged.

Before attacking the victim, a meeting was held by those who committed the murder. The victim’s wife however, continues to remain missing.

As per information, Himanshu married Soni Kumari, a girl from his neighbourhood, more than eight months before he was murdered. The couple stayed away from their village after their marriage .

The girl’s family opposed their marriage on the grounds that the couple belonged to the same community. The father of the girl was also involved in the murder and is among those who have been sentenced.

As per the FIR lodged by Jailash Devi, mother of the victim, a group of people barged into their house and began looking for Himanshu. Though Himanshu and his wife went into hiding initially, the former came out to protect his mother from being attacked. The group took Himanshu away and subsequently murdered him.

Sirrus Lall, defence lawyer of three among those sentenced said that his clients would appeal against the sentence. Kushelendra Sahay, lawyer of some of those sentenced also said he expects relief for his clients from the upper court.