Four get life term for 2001murder over orchestra event

Lucknow: A local court in Ambedkarnagar district has sentenced four persons to life imprisonment in connection with a 2021 murder and attempted murder case in Achhati village under Alapur police station limits.The judgment was delivered on Friday evening by the court of additional district judge (ADJ-I) Rambilas Singh, who also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on each of the convicts. The court convicted Sadiq alias Kallu, Israr Khan, Nadeem Khan and Aleem under the charges of IPC 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), based on witness testimonies and evidence presented during the trial.According to the prosecution, the incident took place on the evening of Dec 3, 2021, when a group of accused, armed with knives, axes and other sharp weapons, attacked the house of Praveen Lata Maurya in Achhati village.During the assault, her husband, Ramsakal Maurya, was critically injured after being struck on the head with sharp weapons. He later succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Their sons, Ranvijay and Digvijay, also sustained serious injuries, including fractures and head trauma.The attackers further vandalised vehicles parked in the garage, including a jeep, a tractor and an SUV. They also assaulted the family's driver, Vinay Yadav alias Gore, inflicting severe head injuries.The court acquitted six other accused—Yusuf Khan, Irshad, Israel, Mohammad Ahmad, Belal and Sidra Fatima—due to lack of sufficient evidence.Initially registered as a case of attempted murder and assault, the charges were later upgraded to murder after Ramsakal Maurya's death. Police subsequently filed a chargesheet against the accused.The investigation revealed that the violence stemmed from a dispute around 10 days prior to the incident. An argument broke out between the deceased's son Ranvijay and accused Sadiq over an issue related to an orchestra event, during which Sadiq allegedly issued death threats.On the day of the incident, the accused allegedly regrouped and carried out the planned attack on the Maurya family.The victim's wife, Praveen Lata Maurya, expressed relief and said justice had been served. "I had complete faith in the judiciary. This decision has brought peace to our hearts," she said.