Jammu: Sixteen years after the murder of a
contractor, a local court has awarded death sentence to six
persons in Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir.
After hearing the prosecution and defence counsels in
connection with the murder of a contractor Yash Paul Singh
alias Bhola in 1995, Principal Sessions Judge Kathua Jang
Bahadur Singh Jamwal yesterday awarded death sentences to six
persons involved in the murder in the district.
The six persons who were awarded death penalty were
identified as Jagvinder Singh alias Pappi, Varinder Kumar,
Jasbir Singh alias Jassi, Ram Nath Raina alias Natha, Gurdeep
Singh alias Kali and Ajay Kumar alias Kalu.
While awarding death penalty to six accused, the judge
referred to various judgements of Supreme Court and observed
"the court is satisfied that this is the rarest of rare case
and is uncommon from the ordinary offence committed herein.
"The accused had been the member of `unlawful assembly`
right from the begining of the offence till they eliminated
the deceased and cut him into pieces. The blows inflicted
brutally have shown the animal intent of the accused," the
judge said in his order.
"There is no possibility of the convicts being
reformed and in case they are permitted to remain on the
earth, there is every likelihood that the people may lose
faith in the courts for not punishing the accused as per the
offence committed," he further observed.
The court directed that the record of the case be
submitted to High Court for confirmation of the sentences
imposed. The convicts were also informed of their right to
appeal within 14 days, if they choose so.
Contractor Yash Paul Singh was murdered in broad-day
light by seven accused on April 7, 1995 and during the course
of trail one of the accused namely Sukhdev Singh died.
PTI
