A Muzaffarnagar court on Tuesday sentenced four members of a family to death for the brutal murder of a 49-year-old man over a debt repayment in 2019. The convicts include three brothers in their 30s and their 60-year-old mother. The court described the crime as falling under the 'rarest of rare' category, warranting capital punishment.
Details of the Crime
On June 17, 2019, victim Shekhar Chaudhary, a farmer, had gone to Kheri Sudiyan village to recover Rs 70,000 he had lent to Ramkumar from a neighboring village. However, Ramkumar, along with his sons Pradeep Kumar (38), Sandeep Kumar (36), Sonu Kumar (30), and his wife Mukesh Devi (60), attacked Shekhar with sticks, repeatedly threw bricks at him, and stoned him to death. Shekhar died of severe head injuries.
Legal Proceedings
Shekhar's mother, Rajbala Devi, who witnessed the crime, filed a complaint leading to an FIR under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 336 (endangering life), 504 (intentional insult), and 302 (murder). All five accused were arrested and sent to jail. However, Ramkumar died in custody due to illness, while the other four were granted bail.
Court's Observation
Additional District Government Counsel Kuldeep Kumar stated that the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, after examining evidence, witnesses, and the autopsy report, observed that the motive behind the murder was to avoid repaying the Rs 70,000 debt. The court noted that the victim was inflicted with multiple head injuries in a brutal manner that shocks the conscience of society, warranting capital punishment within the 'rarest of rare' category as laid down by the Supreme Court. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each convict.
The court further remarked, 'Human life is a precious gift, and every individual has an equal right to live. In the present case, convicts committed a brutal murder for money, and therefore, awarding the death penalty is the only appropriate course.'
