HC upholds life term for jawan in double murder after altercation over card game

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh high court dismissed the appeal of a Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) personnel, affirming his conviction for the murder of 2 colleagues and the attempted murder of a third. Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, on March 12, upheld the trial court's order sentencing Kumeti to life imprisonment until his natural death. The court observed that, in cases involving heinous crimes such as multiple murders, sexual assault, and theft, the testimony of an injured eyewitness is of high evidentiary value, with his presence at the scene naturally established by his injuries. Where such testimony is corroborated by post-mortem reports, medical evidence, forensic analysis, and recovery of incriminating property. Prosecution witnesses testified that Kumeti was heard shouting after the shooting that he was "treated like an animal" and "did what he had to do".The incident took place on May 29, 2020, at the Amdai Ghati Camp in Narayanpur district. Kumeti, an Assistant Platoon Commander with the 9th Battalion, opened fire with his service AK-47 rifle following a dispute with his colleagues. The firing killed PR Rameshwar Sahu and PC Bindeshwar Sahni. Sub-Inspector Lakshram Premi sustained serious gunshot injuries but survived the attack. During the investigation, the injured witness stated that a few days before the incident, an altercation occurred between the accused and the deceased, PR Rameshwar Sahu, during a card game at the camp. Sahu allegedly remarked that the noise being made resembled that of animals, which the accused objected to, leading to a verbal dispute. HC rejected the defence's argument that the lack of visibility in the dark barrack made identification impossible.