Jeypore: In a significant verdict, the Koraput District and Sessions Court in Jeypore sentenced two brothers to rigorous life imprisonment on Thursday for the murder of their relative. District and Sessions Judge Pradeep Kumar Mahanta pronounced the sentence after convicting Laxman Harijan (39) and Chaitanya Harijan (42) of murder.
The court pronounced the sentence after convicting Laxman and Chaitanya of murder on the basis of testimonies of 11 witnesses, including four eyewitnesses, and the post-mortem report.
The convicted brothers, residents of Sashahandi village under Kotpad police station, were also fined Rs. 10,000 each. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional one year of rigorous imprisonment.
According to the case details, the tragic incident occurred on January 8, 2021, around 8 AM, when a dispute over land ownership escalated between the deceased, Dasarath Harijan (38), and the two brothers at a local tea stall owned by N. Nageshwar Rao in the village. The altercation began with verbal abuse and physical assault but was temporarily resolved after locals intervened. However, tensions flared again when the brothers returned to the tea stall where Dasarath had stayed.
During the ensuing scuffle, Chaitanya, the elder brother, held Dasarath from behind, while Laxman, the younger brother, repeatedly stabbed him in the stomach, chest, and neck with a knife. Dasarath collapsed on the spot, and Laxman also sustained injuries to his neck during the attack.
Dasarath’s family rushed him to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The family subsequently filed a written complaint at the Kotpad police station, leading to the registration of a murder case. The police arrested the two brothers the next day and produced them in court.
Further investigation revealed that the night before the incident, the brothers had gone to Dasarath’s house when he was not present and threatened his wife, Rama Harijan, warning her that they would kill her husband.
The court’s decision marks the conclusion of a long legal process, bringing a sense of justice to the victim’s family.
