Auto driver gets life term for murder

LUDHIANA: A local court has sentenced an auto-rickshaw driver to life imprisonment for killing a fellow driver following a fight over picking up passengers.

The court of additional sessions judge Jasvir Singh Kang also imposed a fine of Rs 13,000 on the convict, identified as Tejinderpal Singh, 47, of Mundian Kalan.

On October 31, 2015, Jamalpur police station had booked Tejinderpal Singh and his son Satvir Singh under Sections 302 (murder), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of Indian Penal Code and under Section 27 of Arms Act for shooting auto driver Sukhdev Singh Billu dead.

In his statement to police, Sukhdev’s brother Jagdev Singh had said on October 31, 2015, he along with his elder brother were picking up passengers when Tejinderpal brought his auto rickshaw in front of their vehicle and asked passengers to sit in his vehicle. As Jagdev opposed Tejinderpal, the latter started abusing Sukhdev. The altercation stopped when others intervened in the matter.

Later when he along with his brother had gone to Jamalpur Chowk. Tejinderpal along with his son Satvir Singh (who is a proclaimed offender) were standing at the spot. A few minutes later, Tejinderpal who was carrying a revolver fired at his brother, Jagdev had claimed. Tejinderpal was declared dead at a private hospital.

On November 1 2015, Tejinderpal was arrested after which police presented a challan against him in the court. His son was later declared a proclaimed offender.

During trial of the case, the accused pleaded innocence and false implication.

The defence counsel contended that only single shot allegedly fired, so it cannot be said that accused had the intention to kill Sukhdev Singh. The court observed that the single shot was not fired towards the non-vital part of body like legs or foot.

The circumstance that the shot was fired towards the chest of deceased from a close distance apparently established the intention on the part of the accused to kill Sukhdev.