A Balrampur court has sentenced nine members of the same family – including five women and four of their husbands – to life imprisonment for the murder of a 55-year-old farmer in 2013.
The victim, Shiv Chandran, was attacked and beaten to death by the convicts while returning home from a temple, after a dispute between the two sides.
On Thursday, the nine defendants, who were released on bail, were detained after the court convicted them in the case. The court had reserved its decision to pronounce the ruling for the next day. On Friday, each of the convicts was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Balrampur government lawyer Naveen Tiwari said seven prosecution witnesses were examined during the trial.
Defense lawyer Shamim Athar said they would file an appeal against the ruling.
The convicts, aged between 45 and 70, are residents of Rajina village under Jaisahari police station limits and live in the same neighborhood as the victim. The convicts and accused are from the same Dalit community.
According to the prosecution, the case dates back to July 22, 2013, when Shiv Charan was returning home after offering prayers at a nearby temple.
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While he was passing in front of the accused’s house, he confronted him and hit him repeatedly with a sharp object. The attackers also beat up Shiv Sharan’s wife and son when they tried to save him, and they sustained injuries.
After brutally beating him, the attackers fled, leaving Shiv Sharan unconscious on the road.
His family rushed to the scene and took him to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival.
Later, the victim’s son, Bhagirat, filed a complaint with the local police station, which led to the registration of a murder case.
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During the initial investigation, the police found that the murder stemmed from a dispute between members of the two families a few days before the incident. The accused were reportedly angry with Shiv Charan and plotted to kill him in retaliation.
(tags for translation) Lucknow
