ExUP minister gets life term in murder case

Former Uttar Pradesh minister Ram Karan Arya was on Monday awarded life sentence by a local court in connection with an over two-decade old murder case. District judge, Anil Kumar Pundeer, also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him. Arya, who was minister in the Akhilesh Yadav government, was sentenced for killing Shambhu Pal, nephew of BJP MP Jagdambika Pal in November 1993 in Bharwalia village in Lalganj area here.

Former UP minister, Ram Karan Arya, was on Monday awarded life term by a local court in Basti that found him guilty of an over two-decade old murder. District judge, Anil Kumar Pundeer, who delivered the judgment, also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him. Following the court verdict, Arya was sent to jail. He was minister in the Akhilesh government.

The judgment came after the Supreme Court gave direction for disposing of the case in a time bound manner on the plea filed by the prosecution side.

Shambhu Sharan Pal, cousin of present BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, was shot dead by Ram Karan Arya who at the time of incident was accompanied by nine others. The murder had taken place in November 1994 in Bharwalia village in Lalganj area here. An FIR in this regard was registered against 10 people including Arya. One person died during trial while the court set eight others free. Jai Baksh Pal, a kin of Shambhu who fought the case, said, “I am happy that justice has been delivered at last.”

THE JUDGMENT CAME AFTER THE SUPREME COURT GAVE DIRECTION FOR DISPOSING OF THE CASE IN A TIME BOUND MANNER ON THE PLEA FILED BY THE PROSECUTION SIDE.