Bihar court sentences 12 persons to life imprisonment in double murder case

Patna, Nov 21 (IANS) In a significant verdict, the district court of Begusarai sentenced 12 individuals, including a prominent political leader, to life imprisonment in a 20-year-old double murder case on Thursday.

Among the accused are Mithilesh Singh, a political leader. The other accused are identified as Roshan Singh, Ravindra Singh, Randhir Kumar alias Dukha, Sunil Singh, Sudhir Singh, Sanjeev Singh, Komal Singh, Shaligram Singh, Anil Singh, Manoj Singh, and Ranjit Singh, all residents of Akbarpur Purani Deeh under the jurisdiction of Shamho police station.

The judgment was delivered by Additional District and Sessions Judge Shaba Alam on Thursday. Initially, all the accused were acquitted by the district court in 2015.

However, the victim's family challenged their acquittal in the Patna High Court, which reopened the case and directed the district court to resolve it within four months. The accused subsequently approached the Supreme Court, but the apex court upheld the Patna High Court's order.

After nearly two decades of legal proceedings, the district court has now pronounced the quantum of punishment, marking the culmination of a long legal battle for justice.

The case stems from an incident in Akbarpur Purani Deeh village of Shamho block, where Congress leader and PACS president Lalan Singh, along with his cousin Sipul Singh, were allegedly gunned down by the accused on the night of March 8, 2004.

The incident occurred near Thakurbari when Lalan Singh, Sipul Singh, and their brother Mukesh Singh were returning after distributing relief materials to fire victims in the area.

According to Mukesh Singh, who filed the complaint at Nayagaon police station case number 13/2004, the accused, including Mithilesh Singh, ambushed them. Mukesh managed to escape the scene, but the others were overpowered.

The case had roots in political rivalry, as both Lalan Singh and Mithilesh Singh had contested against each other in PACS and Zilla Parishad elections. While Lalan Singh won the PACS election, both lost the Zilla Parishad election, leading to heightened tensions. Over time, the dispute evolved into a land-related feud.

Initially, the district court acquitted all the accused in 2015. However, following a petition by the victim's family, the Patna High Court reopened the case and ordered its resolution within four months. The Supreme Court later upheld the High Court's decision, leading to the case's conclusion.

“The ruling of the district court is a historic and unprecedented decision. This was the first instance where a district court reversed its earlier acquittal and imposed life sentences after reopening a case. The crime was politically motivated, exacerbated by underlying land disputes,” said Additional Public Prosecutor Dilip Kushwaha.

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