Chandigarh Court Delivers Life Sentences in High-Profile 2019 Murder Case
In a significant ruling, a Chandigarh court on Friday sentenced three convicts—Shubham alias Bigni, Manjeet alias Mota, and Rajan alias Jaat—to life imprisonment for the September 2019 murder of property dealer Rajveer Singh alias Sonu Shah. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 22,000 on each of the convicted individuals.
Acquittals and Evidentiary Challenges
Notably, five other accused—gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Dharmendra Singh, Abhishek alias Bunty, Raju Basodi, and Deepak Ranga—were acquitted due to a lack of evidence. The case, which involved a brazen shooting in Sector 45, saw multiple lapses in the investigation process.
The murder occurred on September 28, 2019, when gunmen stormed Sonu Shah's office, firing 14 rounds that killed him and injured his aides, Joginder Singh and Parminder Singh. A voice message on social media, attributed to Raju Basodi, claimed responsibility for the attack on behalf of the Lawrence gang.
Prosecution Hurdles and Witness Issues
The Chandigarh Police crime branch had filed a chargesheet against eight accused, alleging the murder was orchestrated through a prison network. However, the trial faced major setbacks:
- Eyewitness Joginder Singh could not be produced in court, with police unable to confirm his status or whereabouts despite extensive searches. His wife stated they had been separated for over a decade and had no information on him.
- The second eyewitness, Parminder Singh, died during the trial, leading to his removal from the witness list after a police report on January 19, 2026.
These issues forced the court to close the prosecution evidence prematurely.
Defense Arguments and Investigative Lapses
Defense lawyer Amit Khairwal highlighted critical failures in the police investigation:
- CCTV footage from the day of the shooting was not seized.
- Voice samples from the suspect audio message were not sent for forensic analysis.
- Evidence linking Dharmendra Singh to a hotel in Sector 80, Mohali, including a positive handwriting report, went missing from police records.
Additionally, hotel manager Chandan and employee Vipin failed to identify Dharmendra in court. The complainant, Praveen Shah (the victim's brother), could only identify the three convicted men, further weakening the case against the others.
This ruling underscores the complexities in prosecuting gang-related crimes and the impact of evidentiary gaps on judicial outcomes.
