Nine get lifer for property dealer’s murder

Nagpur: The special Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (

MCOCA

) court on Wednesday awarded lifer to nine accused, including Dallu Sardar, in the murder of property dealer Suraj Yadav. Judge Ashok Dhamecha also imposed a cost of 10,000 each on all accused, while acquitting seven due to lack of evidence. The deceased was the brother-in-law of Ajni corporator Omprakash Yadav alias Munna.

The sentence was awarded amid tight security as police were anticipating trouble. Relatives from both sides crowded the courtroom and outside, and the atmosphere was tense for some time. After pronouncement of the verdict, some of the accused were taken away to Central Jail from the rear exit of the court, to avoid trouble.

Yadav, 28, was brutally hacked to death by a gang of around 25 armed youths over a property dispute at

Zingabai Takli

on November 18, 2012. They had also attacked his seven months pregnant wife Mandip Kaur and his brother Rajesh, when they rushed to save him. The brutal attack was witnessed by other family members and neighbours at Kamal Square, under the jurisdiction of Pachpaoli police station.

According to eyewitnesses, including the deceased’s mother Fulisabai, the gang barged into their home at about 4.30pm and mercilessly attacked Yadav till he fell down and died. He received 25 wounds on his body from sharp weapons. Tension prevailed in the area for some days after Yadav’s supporters and relatives demanded immediate arrest of the attackers. Hundreds of people also gathered in front of his house.

The Pachpaoli cops had rounded up 16 of the 25 accused. Initially, they faced MCOCA charges, which were later dropped, due to lack of evidence that they were part of an organized crime syndicate. However, the prosecution was able to prove the case of murder under Section 302 of IPC, with the help of eyewitness accounts from the family members.

Yadav’s brother Rajesh was the star witness since he was able to identify the weapons used by the accused along with some faces. Special public prosecutor Prashant Sathianathan waged a battle against a battery of defence lawyers, including Chandrashekhar Jaltare, RB Gaikwad, RK Tiwari, R Patwardhan, Ashok Bhangde and others.

In And OUT

Convicted: Prime accused Dallu Sardar, Goldie Sardar alias Kuljitsingh Multani, Manmitsingh alias Sunny Digwa, Chotu alias Sandipsingh Johar, Bablu alias Mehroz Hussain Pathan, Ravindra Singh alias Bunty alias Langdya Anand, Pappu Gajanan Zad, Vinod Panchang and Akash Purushottam Mahurkar

Acquitted:

Maninderjit Singh

alias Sardar Lodhi, Anup alias Pintu Fulchand Chawar, Gautam Vitthal Pillewan, Bunty alias Anand Ramesh Nayar, Akash Ravindra Bose, Tirupati Baburao Bhonge, Ashish Kalya alias Mahendra Ramteke