File photo of Sandeep, who was murdered in the 2023 Ganganagar Colony assault case.
Sessions Court finds four accused guilty of murdering Sandeep in Ganganagar Colony; each fined ₹35,000 while trial against four juveniles continues separately
Yamunanagar | Pen of Democracy News Desk
Nearly three years after the brutal murder of a youth in Yamunanagar’s Ganganagar Colony, a local court has sentenced four men to life imprisonment after holding them guilty of murder. The judgment was delivered by the court of Additional Sessions Judge Rajneesh Kumar, which convicted Karan, Damran, Prince and Raja in connection with the killing of Sandeep. Besides life imprisonment, the court imposed a fine of ₹35,000 on each convict. In default of payment, they will undergo additional imprisonment as prescribed by law. The court further ordered that all sentences would run concurrently and that the period already spent by the convicts in judicial custody would be set off against their sentence in accordance with legal provisions. According to Deputy District Attorney Ravinder Malik, the incident occurred on the night of July 24, 2023, when Sandeep was returning home with his friend Ankush. As they reached Thekedar Wali Gali in Ganganagar Colony, they were allegedly intercepted by a group of assailants. The prosecution alleged that the accused, acting out of previous enmity, attacked Sandeep with iron rods and wooden sticks, inflicting multiple serious injuries. He was initially admitted to a local hospital before being referred to PGIMER, Chandigarh, due to the severity of his condition. Sandeep succumbed to his injuries on August 2, 2023, following which Jagadhri City Police added the charge of murder to the case and intensified the investigation. During the investigation, police arrested eight accused, including four juveniles. While proceedings against the juvenile accused are continuing separately before the Juvenile Justice Board, the police filed a chargesheet against the four adult accused after collecting medical evidence, forensic material and eyewitness testimonies. During the trial, the prosecution relied on documentary evidence, medical reports and witness statements to establish the charges. After evaluating the evidence placed on record, the court held the four accused guilty of murder and awarded them life imprisonment. The judgment brings legal closure to one part of the case, while proceedings against the juvenile accused remain pending before the competent authority.
