Patna: In a first, a Bihar court has awarded life sentence to two persons in connection with a triple murder case under the new law—Bharatiya Nayaya Samhita (BNS)–and that too in a record time. Additional district and sessions judge, Saran, Punit Kumar Garg pronounced life sentence to two accused, Sudhanshu Kumar alias Roshan Kumar (19) and his close accomplice Ankit Kumar Ram (18) in connection with a triple murder case lodged at Rasoolpur police station in Saran district. The court also imposed a penalty of Rs 25,000 on each failing which period of imprisonment may be extended. “To my knowledge this is the first instance of life sentence awarded in a triple murder case under the new law-Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita in the country,” said Saran public prosecutor Surendra Nath Singh in the Chhapra civil court premises after the conviction of the accused.He said the prosecution produced all the witnesses and provided sufficient evidence against the accused, which led to their conviction in the case. “The convicts were sent to the district jail under tight security arrangements soon after the pronouncement of the judgement,” public prosecutor Singh said.Both the accused virtually started crying in the courtroom as soon as the sentence was pronounced. They were arrested from their hideouts during a raid on July 17 this year. The investigating officer of the case had submitted the chargesheet against the accused under sections 103 (1), 109 (1), 329-4/3 (5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita within 14 days of their arrest. “Timely submission of the chargesheet helped the court take cognisance against the accused, which finally led to conviction in a span of 50 days,” Public Prosecutor Singh said, adding that the court held trial on day-to-day basis. Saran superintendent of police Kumar Ashish said that three persons -Tarkeshwar Singh, alias Jhabar (55), and his two minor daughters Chandani Kumar (17) and Abha Kumari (15) were stabbed to death by the accused at village Dhanadih under Rasoolpur police station in July this year. Singh’s wife Shobha Devi had also sustained grievous injuries in the attack that was carried out around 2 am on July 17 when the family was sleeping on the roof top of their house. The police collected scientific evidence and produced in the trial court, the SP revealed. Roshan had fallen in love with Tarkeshwar’s daughter and was pressuring for marriage, which the family denied. The jilted lover subsequently killed the minor girl, his father and a sister and left her mother wounded, the prosecution said. According to the SP, the Rasoolpur police had submitted a charge sheet under sections 103 (1), 109 (1), 329-4/3 (5) of BNS within 14 days leading to their conviction.Earlier on Tuesday, the court had held both the accused guilty in the case. The case was registered on the statement of Shobha Devi. Prosecution produced the complainant Shobha Devi and three other independent witnesses Mantoo Singh, Umesh Sharma and Manoj Singh who supported their statements during trial held on a day-to-day basis.
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