Five including victim’s sister get life term in 2022 West Champaran murder case
Patna, Sep 5 (IANS) A court in Bihar’s West Champaran district on Saturday sentenced five persons, including the victim’s biological sister, to life imprisonment in the 2022 murder case of Vijay Kumar Sahani, bringing to a close a trial that lasted more than four years.
The court of the 4th District and Additional Sessions Judge, Manvendra Mishra, convicted Mahfuz Ansari, Rajkishore Mahto, Tetar Ram alias Sadhu, Shri Mushahar and Geeta Devi for offences related to murder, kidnapping, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy.
The court awarded life imprisonment to all five convicts and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of them.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on the evening of May 1, 2022, when Vijay Kumar Sahani was allegedly called on the pretext of resolving a dispute over a pond.
After receiving the phone call, Vijay left his home on his motorcycle but did not return. His family searched for him but was unable to trace him. Subsequently, his wife, Asha Devi, lodged an FIR at Ramnagar police station on May 4, 2022.
During the investigation, police filed a charge sheet against the accused under various sections relating to kidnapping, murder, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy.
The prosecution alleged that Geeta Devi, the deceased’s biological sister, was also part of the conspiracy behind the murder.
During the trial, the prosecution presented witness statements and documentary evidence before the court. A total of 24 documents were submitted, including the postmortem report and Call Detail Records (CDRs).
The trial continued for more than four years before the court delivered its verdict. After hearing the arguments and examining the evidence, Judge Manvendra Mishra convicted all five accused and awarded them life imprisonment.
The deceased’s family welcomed the verdict and expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision. Relatives said they were grateful that justice had finally been delivered after a prolonged legal battle.
Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) Jitendra Bharti represented the prosecution in the case.
–IANS
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