Puri: An Additional Sessions Court here on Monday sentenced five persons to life imprisonment after convicting them in the 2019 triple murder case at Pattanayakia Chhak.
Additional Sessions Judge Deepak Ranjan Sahu pronounced the verdict after considering the evidence, documents and arguments presented during the trial. The court found Subal Behera, Shankar Behera, Mitu Behera, Punia Behera and Charan Behera guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and other applicable criminal provisions.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on each of the convicts. In default of payment of the fine, they will have to undergo an additional six months of imprisonment.
Additional Public Prosecutor Tapaswini Mohanty represented the State in the case.
According to the prosecution, the murders took place on July 14, 2019, when the accused allegedly hacked to death Purna Behera and Krishna Behera of Sadanandapur village, along with Krishna’s cousin Panchu Behera, at Pattanayakia Chhak.
The killings were allegedly linked to an earlier incident in which the deceased had set fire to the house of one of the accused, Shankar Behera.
Following a complaint lodged by Prashant, son of Laxmidhar Behera, the elder brother of one of the deceased, Satyabadi police registered a murder case bearing No. 114/19 and launched an investigation. Police had arrested six persons in connection with the case, while the court ultimately convicted and sentenced five accused after completion of the trial.
