Two gets life imprisonment for friend`s murder

New Delhi: Two men have been sentenced to life term for murdering their friend in 2011 by a Delhi court which said they had not justification for taking the extreme step.

Additional Sessions Judge Vimal Kumar Yadav awarded jail term to Vikas Tokas and Inderjeet for shooting dead their friend Lalit. "... This seals the fate of accused Vikas as the prime accused responsible for murdering deceased Lalit. The conduct of Inderjeet makes him an active accomplice in the offence and thus, he too is equally liable for the offence of murder in light of the evidence on record and in view of the provision under section 34 (common intention) IPC," the court said. According to the police, on July 5, 2011, the victim was found injured after being shot in a park by a man who had seen the two accused coming out from there and running. The witness had informed the cops at Vasant Vihar Police Station and the victim was taken to hospital where he died. During investigation, Vikas and Inderjeet were arrested by the police and they denied their involvement in the case. The court noted that as per the statement of victim`s mother and uncle, he was last seen alive in the company of the two accused. Regarding motive of the murder, the court said it was "a bit hazy" which includes Inderjeet wanting to shift to the victim`s house but he was opposed to it. It also said Lalit was unemployed and he was living on the earnings of the two accused and used to consume liquor and drugs from their money and this could be a reason of his elimination by them. "These two facts may or may not individually constitute the motive but then both these facts coupled with the incident of the stolen mobile (of Inderjeet by the victim), if taken together may constitute convincing motive for his elimination. "This is era of fast moving times, where everybody wants everything very quickly. Patience is a rare attribute and getting rarer everyday. The stress and strains of the modern day life have driven the persons crazy, who tend to lose temper at the drop of the hat. The rising incidents of the so called road rage leading to fatalities is a testimony into itself," the court said. "The convicts have taken a life, a life which cannot be given back by them or by anybody. There is seemingly no justification as to why such an extreme step was taken by them," the court observed.