Two get life term for killing youth

NEW DELHI, February 3: A city court sentenced two persons, who claim to be active BJP workers, to life imprisonment for setting afire a youth who later succumbed to the 100 per cent burn he sustained. Suresh Kumar and Purushottam Chopra were arrested on the intervening night of December 18 and 19, 1997, following the death of Sher Singh, a resident of Uttam Nagar. The two persons have also been directed to pay a fine of Rs 2,000.

Additional Sessions Judge S.P. Garg dismissed the defence plea that Singh’s dying declaration, on which the prosecution case was based, was manipulated.“Admittedly, there is no direct evidence about the commission of offence,” said ASJ Garg, adding that he had relied upon the two dying declarations given by Singh. The first declaration, which was verbal, was given in the presence of a Safdarjung Hospital doctor, while the second, which was written, was given to Sub Inspector Rakesh Kumar. The prosecution case was based on the second declaration.

Both Chopra and Kumar had accused the prosecution of preparing a false declaration. They pleaded not guilty and denied their involvement. The defence also expressed reservations about the fact that Singh’s declaration was given to one policeman in the absence of a metropolitan magistrate and a doctor. The defence counsels stated that their clients were pic-ked up from their homes on the pretext that certain inquiries had to be made. Public Prosecutor J.L. Thakral, however, stated that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. He said that Singh’s dying declaration pointed an accusing finger at the two accused person and there was no known motive for anyone to falsely implicate them.