4 men get life for killing neighbour in 2014

Agra: Four men from Firozabad have been sentenced to life imprisonment for shooting dead their 25-year-old neighbour in 2014 following an argument over money. Each of the convicts has also been fined Rs 34,000, district govt counsel (DGC) Rajiv Upadhay said.

The incident took place on the night of May 17, 2014, in the Rasoolpur police station area. The victim, Tariq Ali, a daily wager and resident of Durgesh Nagar, was standing outside his house with his sister at around 9.15 pm when the convicts -- Mohd Nasir, Aftab Ahmed, Wasim Ahmed and Mohd Kamal -- arrived at the spot.

According to the prosecution, the convicts -- neighbours of the victim and daily wage workers aged between 40 and 45 -- were in an inebriated condition. They got into an argument with Tariq over a financial transaction, which escalated into a violent altercation. During the dispute, Aftab allegedly took out a pistol and fired at Tariq. The victim collapsed and was rushed to hospital, where he died during treatment.

The postmortem examination revealed fractures to the right temporal bone and the left temporoparietal bone. The cause of death was stated as coma resulting from ante-mortem injuries. The report also recorded entry and exit wounds of a firearm on the head, the DGC said.

Based on a complaint filed by the victim's sister, a case was registered under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly) and 302 (murder). The four men were arrested and a chargesheet was filed in court weeks later. They were subsequently released on bail. After examining the evidence and hearing arguments from both sides, district and sessions judge Babbu Sarang convicted them on Friday, the DGC said.