The District Sessions Court sentenced the twelve accused in the murder of former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina’s uncle Ashok Kumar to twelve years of imprisonment. The decision was pronounced by the District Court of Pathankot which also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on each of the convicts.
The case was heard in the court of Additional District Judge (ADJ) Jitendra Pal Khurmi. The trial lasted for four years and the defence attorney presented arguments in favour of the perpetrators, however, the prosecution also produced all the evidence in the court which proved that the incident was committed by them. The court eventually gave its verdict after a tedious argument. They have been convicted of robbery and murder.
The convicts have been identified as Swarn alias Matching (28) from Uttar Pradesh, Shahrukh Khan alias Lukman (46) from Rajasthan, Mohabbat (26) from Rajasthan, Rihan alias Sonu (29) from Rajasthan, Aslam alias Naso (44) from Punjab, Tawajal Bibi (53) from Uttar Pradesh, Kazam alias Rida (60) from Uttar Pradesh, Chahat alias Jaan (38) from Uttar Pradesh, Jabrana (43) from Rajasthan, Sajan alias Amir (55) from Uttar Pradesh, Sehjan (18) from Uttar Pradesh and Chhaju alias Babu Mian (70) from Uttar Pradesh.
Background of the incident
The family of Ashok Kumar (58) was attacked by several unidentified miscreants on 19th August 2020, while they were sound asleep on the roof of their house. The incident happened in the Pathankot district’s Tharyal village. Kumar, a contractor by trade, was assaulted with sharp objects and instantly passed away. The neighbours were startled by the screaming and rushed into the house. They notified the police after witnessing the bloodied bodies of the family members. The police then hurriedly took Ashok Kumar’s son Kaushal Kumar (32) and wounded wife Asha Devi (55) to the hospital, where they both died while receiving treatment. His other son Apeen Kumar (24) and mother Satya Devi (80) also suffered severe injuries.
Amarinder Singh, the then-chief minister of Punjab, had taken notice of the matter and directed the creation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into it. The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) of Amritsar, the Senior Superintendent of Police of Pathankot, and the Superintendent of Police were among the individuals serving on the Special Investigation Team. During the inquiry, the SIT gathered evidence and discovered 100 persons who appeared suspect. Four years later, the 12 offenders were apprehended by the SIT from various locations. A case was filed at the Shahpurkandi Police Station following the arrests. The culprits were given a life sentence after the case was heard by the Pathankot District Magistrate Court.
