Sambalpur: Seven persons were sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of a 32-year-old man in 2021. The District and Sessions Court in Sambalpur convicted all seven persons in the murder case that took place in Gulamal village under Katarbaga police limits over a property dispute.
The victim was identified as Prakash Pradhan, 32, of Pradhanpali village under Katarbaga police station. District and Sessions Judge Pragyan Panigrahi delivered the judgment after examining the testimonies of 23 witnesses and crucial documentary evidence. The convicts are Ashok Kumar Pradhan, Bhojaraj Pradhan, Rukman Pradhan, Gajaraj Pradhan, Bhishmadev Pradhan, Ranjit, Bhishmajit Bhoi
All hail from Pradhanpali village under Katarbaga police limits.The court convicted them under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each accused.
In case of default in payment of the fine, they will have to undergo an additional two months in jail. Additionally, the convicts were sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 307 (attempt to murder) and two years under Section 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons).Another accused, Biranchi Biswal, was acquitted by the court due to lack of sufficient evidence.
The incident occurred on September 16, 2021, around 8 PM. Prakash Pradhan and his friend Ajay Barik were returning from a market after purchasing items for Vishwakarma Puja when the seven accused, acting as per a premeditated plan, attacked them with iron rods, sharp weapons, and axes. Both victims were critically injured.
Locals immediately rushed them to VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Burla, where doctors declared Prakash Pradhan dead on arrival. His friend Ajay Barik also sustained serious injuries.Following the incident, police recovered the body and sent it for post-mortem examination. Based on a complaint lodged by the deceased’s brother Prashant Pradhan, police registered a case and investigated the case.
