Mathura, May 20 (IANS) In a major verdict in a 2017 case, a special fast-track court in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura on Wednesday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for luring passengers into his vehicle, robbing them at gunpoint, attempting to rape a young woman, and killing her brother when he resisted the assault.

Additional Sessions Judge, Vijay Kumar Singh, of the Special Fast Track Court (Crimes Against Women) convicted accused Dilip, son of Bhimsen, under multiple Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Arms Act after finding him guilty of murder, attempted rape, robbery and illegal possession of a firearm.

According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on May 3, 2017, when 19-year-old Chandrashekhar, a resident of Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district, was accompanying his cousin sister Khushboo from Chandauri. While waiting at the Kosi Kalan bus stand to return to Deeg, they accepted a lift offered by Dilip, who was driving a Maruti van bearing registration number RJ-27UB-8442.

The accused reportedly assured them he was heading towards Deeg but later diverted the vehicle on the pretext of avoiding an RTO checking point and drove towards the Govardhan route. Around midnight, he allegedly stopped the vehicle in a forested stretch between Jachonda and Junsuti villages.

The prosecution said Dilip then threatened the passengers with a country-made pistol, robbed them of jewellery and cash, and attempted to sexually assault Chandrashekhar’s sister after forcibly removing her clothes. When Chandrashekhar intervened and confronted the accused after breaking the vehicle’s window glass, a scuffle broke out.

During the altercation, the accused allegedly shot Chandrashekhar in the head, killing him on the spot, before fleeing with the looted belongings.

Police later arrested Dilip near Govardhan Mod. During the investigation, authorities allegedly recovered Rs 5,200 from the looted amount and found the accused wearing slippers belonging to the deceased. Based on his disclosure, police also recovered the illegal firearm and spent cartridge allegedly used in the crime.

Government counsel Subhash Chaturvedi said eyewitness testimonies of the survivor Khushboo, coupled with forensic evidence and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report, played a decisive role in securing the conviction.

The court convicted the accused under Section 302 IPC (murder), awarding life imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 1.30 lakh, conviction under Section 376/511 IPC (attempt to rape), Sections 394 and 411 IPC (robbery and possession of stolen property), and Section 3/25 of the Arms Act related to possession of an illegal weapon.

The court also directed that the period already spent by the accused in judicial custody be adjusted against the sentence and ordered his immediate transfer to Mathura district jail after completion of legal formalities.

–IANS

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