Hisar court awards life sentence to 12 for 2010 double murder

TWO PERSONS WERE KILLED AND SIX WERE INJURED IN THE 2010 FIRING AT BARCHHAPPER VILLAGE OVER LAND ENCROACHMENT

ROHTAK: A local court in Hisar, on Monday, sentenced life imprisonment to 12 persons for killing two persons during a dispute over encroachment on panchayat land in Hisar’s Barchhapar village, over 10 years ago.

The court had held all accused guilty for the crime on February 11 and the sentence was announced on Monday.

Those sentenced are identified as Paras Ram, his son Krishan, Mala, Mohan, Bholu, Bajinder, Ganga Dutt, Kalam Singh, Devi Ram, Surender, all residents of Barchhapper village; Sonu, of Jind, and Jeevan, of Rohtak district.

Two accused died during the hearing of the case, while one suspect was a juvenile.

The case dates back to February 28, 2010, when complainant Ram Kesh lodged a complaint with the police that two persons were killed and six were injured in a firing incident over land at Barchhapper village, around 25km from the district headquarters.

Police had booked 15 accused under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 148 (rioting), and 149 (if an offence be committed by any member of an unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Arms Act.

Mohinder Singh Nain, lawyer of the complainant, said Hisar additional district and sessions judge GS Wadhwa announced life sentence to 12 persons. He also slapped them under different Sections of the IPC and the Arms Act, Wadhwa added.

According to a complaint, the accused wanted to encroach upon a ‘shamilat’ common land). When this was opposed, they opened fire, resulting in the deaths and injuries.

The police said that case had led to tension in the area for some time.