Muzaffarpur CBI court sentences three to life imprisonment for murder of journalist

Patna: A CBI court in Muzaffarpur on Wednesday sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 each in connection with the murder of journalist Rajdev Ranjan in Siwan district. Vijay Kumar Gupta, Rohit Kumar Soni and Sonu Kumar Gupta were found guilty on Aug 30, while three other accused, Laddan Mian, Rajesh Kumar and Rishu Kumar Jaiswal, were acquitted due to lack of evidence.Senior journalist Ranjan was shot dead on May 13, 2016. The case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following the demands of the family and state govt. The trial lasted for nearly nine years.Ranjan’s wife, Asha Devi, expressed satisfaction with the life imprisonment sentence. She said she had full faith in the law but felt that the murderers deserved the death penalty. “I am planning to take legal action against the three other acquitted accused,” she said.Senior special public prosecutor of CBI, Rakesh Dubey, said that they presented every piece of evidence and witness. “Despite attempts to exert pressure and influence witnesses, the truth emerged. I am confident that the verdict will be a step towards justice for the journalist community,” he said.Meanwhile, defence lawyer Sharad Sinha argued that many innocent people were implicated in the case. The court acquitted three accused due to lack of evidence, highlighting flaws in the investigation, he alleged.