Truck driver gets life term for cousin’s murder in Jajpur

Kendrapada: A Jajpur district court on Thursday sentenced a truck driver to life imprisonment for deliberately running over his cousin in 2021 due to a property dispute.Justice Amruta Ranjan Nanda found Susant Mallick (34) guilty under Section 302 of the IPC for the murder of his cousin Akshya Mallick (30). The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the convict, with an additional six-month imprisonment if he fails to pay the amount.The incident occurred on Mar 24, 2021, when Akshya was standing on a road near his house in Balisahi village under Jenapur police station. Susant, driving a lorry at high speed, intentionally ran over Akshya, killing him instantly. While the case was initially registered as an accident, subsequent investigation revealed it was a pre-meditated murder."The accused attempted to disguise the murder as an accident, but eyewitness accounts proved otherwise," said public prosecutor Samarendra Dash. The prosecution's case was strengthened by the testimonies of 20 witnesses who confirmed that Susant deliberately ran over the victim. Investigation revealed that a long-standing property dispute between the cousins led to the crime."After examining all evidence and witness testimonies, the court found sufficient grounds to convict the accused," Dash said.Kendrapada: A Jajpur district court on Thursday sentenced a truck driver to life imprisonment for deliberately running over his cousin in 2021 due to a property dispute.Justice Amruta Ranjan Nanda found Susant Mallick (34) guilty under Section 302 of the IPC for the murder of his cousin Akshya Mallick (30). The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the convict, with an additional six-month imprisonment if he fails to pay the amount.The incident occurred on Mar 24, 2021, when Akshya was standing on a road near his house in Balisahi village under Jenapur police station. Susant, driving a lorry at high speed, intentionally ran over Akshya, killing him instantly. While the case was initially registered as an accident, subsequent investigation revealed it was a pre-meditated murder."The accused attempted to disguise the murder as an accident, but eyewitness accounts proved otherwise," said public prosecutor Samarendra Dash. The prosecution's case was strengthened by the testimonies of 20 witnesses who confirmed that Susant deliberately ran over the victim. Investigation revealed that a long-standing property dispute between the cousins led to the crime."After examining all evidence and witness testimonies, the court found sufficient grounds to convict the accused," Dash said.
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