Aurangabad, June 14:
Additional Session Court judge M Mohiuddin awarded life imprisonment to a man for murdering a witness of a case.
According to details, the accused Anjabapu Shinde and his friend Dilipsingh Rajput were working in a political party. Three years before the incident, the murderer Anjabapu had a quarrel with Hares Akbar Patel and others from their village.
Anjabapu lodged a complaint with MIDC Police Station. The matter was being heard in Vaijapur Court.
The complainant Bharat Laxman Alone (32, Limbejalgaon) and his uncle Prakash Bandu Alone were the witnesses to the incident.
The prime accused felt that Alones’ should depose as a witness in the court. He had threatened Prakash to appear in court as a witness of the case. Anjabapu became angry when he learnt that Prakash did not want to depose in the court. Anjabapu and Dilipsingh Rajput hatched a conspiracy for the crime on the night of March 19, 2015.
Rajput called Prakash Alone at Limbejalgaon Phata and took him to a motel by car. Anjabapu was already present there. The trio had a heated exchange of words over deposing as a witness. Anjabapu attacked Prakash with a sword and killed him.
Dilipsingh threw the sword somewhere to destroy the evidence. A case was registered with Waluj Police Station.
Police Inspector Ashok Kadam, V M Hashmi and Dhananjay Erule completed the probe and submitted the charge sheet to the court. During the hearing, special Government pleader Rajendra Mugdiya recorded statements from 25 witnesses.
After hearing the arguments, the court awarded life imprisonment to Anjabapu Shinde with a fine of Rs 10,000 under the 302 section of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The co-accused Dilipsingh Rajput was sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 under section 201 of IPC. Adv Tejal Rathod assisted adv Mugdiya