PATNA: A
Samastipur
court sentenced 13 persons, including LJP Rosera block president, to rigorous life imprisonment for killing a journalist of a vernacular daily over property dispute with his cousins and his news items exposing irregularities in drug business by some of his distant relatives. Vikash Ranjan (36) was shot dead outside his office at Rosera in Samastipur on November 25, 2008.
“Ranjan was killed over property dispute with his relatives and exposing irregularities committed by his relatives in their wholesale medicine business,” additional public prosecutor Ram Kumar told TOI over the phone. He said the hearing on a title suit between Ranjan and his uncle over ancestral property had begun just four days before his murder. Kumar also said irregularities had been found in the raids conducted on the wholesale medicine shop owned by Ranjan’s relatives following his news item published in the daily.
Altogether 14 persons, including the LJP leader
Swayamwar Yadav
and one Mohan Yadav, were pronounced guilty by the court of ADJ Rajiv Ranjan Sahay on September 15. However, Mohan evaded arrest after the court verdict. Swayamwar is a local LJP leader. His wife is a former mukhiya. The court sentenced rigorous life imprisonment to rest 13 on Wednesday.
The APP said besides Swayamwar, Ranjan’s uncle Umakant Choudhary,
Vidhan Chandra Rai
, Rajiv Ranjan alias Guddu, Priyaranjan alias Tinnu, Manoj Kumar Choudhary, Manendra Kumar Choudhary, Ram Uday Rai, Rajiv Rai, Sanjeev Rai, Krishna Kumar Yadav alias Barku Yadav, Bablu Singh and
Santosh Anand Singh
have been convicted. Rajiv Rai and his brother
Sanjeev Rai owned the medicine shop, which had been raided.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs20,000 on each of the convicts. In case of failure to pay the fine, they will have to undergo six more months of simple imprisonment.
“One of the accused, Lalit Yadav, died in the course of trial. The court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Mohan. Trial against two more accused are still going on. Krishna is already serving life imprisonment in another murder case,” Kumar said.
He said Ranjan’s diary seized by the police and his call detail record were crucial exhibits in the case. “Ranjan used to write a diary. Police found the names of people who had threatened him and the reason mentioned in the diary. Besides Krishna, Santosh, Mohan and Lalit also gave confessional statements on the basis of which police had gathered further evidence and made arrests,” he said.
The APP said 15 prosecution witnesses were examined in the course of trial. “All had deposed favouring the prosecution case,” he added.
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