3 sentenced to life for murder of brick layer

Ludhiana: A local court has sentenced three persons to life imprisonment for the murder of a brick layer at Raikot. The court of additional sessions judge KS Sular also imposed a fine of Rs 13,000 each on the convicts. One of the accused in the case, Kallu, died in jail during the trial.

On 30 April 2014, Sadar Raikot police had booked Shripal, Kallu, Atar Singh, and Pardeep Singh of Halalpur under sections 302 (murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC for the murder of Arun of Halalpur. As per the prosecution, on 30 April 2014, Rahul — son of Harvir Singh of Halalpur in district Baghpat of Uttar Pradesh — got a statement recorded with Sadar police station that he worked as a brick layer at the brick kiln in Binjal, and his parents also worked along with him. He added that his younger brother Arun (18) also worked with him as a brick layer at the place of their uncle Jaiveer.

On that fateful day, they had stared work when the accused Shripal, his elder brother Kallu, and Atar Singh came over to them and told them they would mould bricks at the place, and started arguing with them. In the meantime, Arun also came to the spot. Soon, the three accused started abusing Rahul and Arun, and struck a severe blow on Rahul’s head with a spade. They also attacked Arun, and later fled the spot after their mother raised an alarm. Both Rahul and Arun were then admitted in Civil Hospital Raikot by their uncle Jaiveer. Later, Arun died at a Ludhiana hospital after being shifted there following serious injuries. Police after arresting the accused, produced a challan against them in the court. During the trial, the accused claimed innocence and false implication.

Rahul’s counsel RK Mourya said the prosecution succeeded in proving before the court that the four accused intentionally murdered Arun. The defence pleaded that the accused were being falsely implicated in the case, and they were relatives who had a minor scuffle, but did not commit the murder. However, the court, was convinced that the accused were involved in the crime and deserved punishment.