A local court in Agra sentenced a husband and wife to life imprisonment for the murder of a 35-year-old Dalit man, whose body was dumped in a drain and motorcycle hidden at their residence, the prosecution stated on Thursday.
Case Details and Initial Investigation
The special judge of the SC/ST Act court, Shiv Kumar, also imposed a fine of Rs 56,000 each on the convicts, Chantai Kumar and his wife Seema Devi, both residents of Etawah district. The case came to light on April 28, 2022, when Ruma Devi filed a missing-person complaint at Jaitpur police station after her husband, Narayan Singh of Gajadhar Nagar, did not return home. She informed police that Narayan had gone to Vaidpura village to work as a halwai (sweet maker) and left around 7 pm on his motorcycle, stating he was returning home, but never arrived.
Police Investigation and Arrests
Police registered a missing-person case and launched an investigation. During the probe, the investigating officer discovered that Chantai, who worked with Narayan, and Seema had allegedly murdered him over his relationship with Seema, as per the prosecution. Police said Chantai told investigators that the couple killed Narayan, dumped his body in a drain in Etawah, and kept his motorcycle at their house. Both accused were arrested and sent to jail, though they later secured bail during trial. Police filed a chargesheet against the couple under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 201 (destruction of evidence), along with relevant provisions of the SC/ST Act.
Court Verdict and Sentencing
Senior prosecuting officer Mrityunjay Singh said the court found both accused guilty after examining evidence and witness testimonies presented during the trial. “The court sentenced both convicts to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 56,000 each. They were on bail during the trial and have now been sent to jail,” he said.
