Haryana court awards life term to 12 in double murder case

A Hisar court on Monday sentenced 12 people to life term for killing two persons during a dispute over encroachment on panchayat land in Haryana's Hisar district over a decade ago.

The court had held all the accused guilty for the crime on February 11. Additional District and Sessions Judge G S Wadhwa announced the sentence and also imposed penalties on all the convicts under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act, complainant’s lawyer Mohinder Singh Nain said. According to a PTI report, two persons had died and six were injured in a 2010 firing incident at Barchhapper village in Hansi II block, around 25 km from the district headquarters.

According to a complaint, the accused wanted to encroach on a 'shamilat' (common common land). When this was opposed, they opened fire. A case under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) 148 (rioting), 149 (if an offence be committed by any member of an unlawful assembly) of the IPC and the Arms Act was registered against 15 people on February 27, 2010.

Two accused died during the hearing of the case, while one suspect was a juvenile. The 12 people who have been sentenced life term include Paras Ram, his son Krishan, Mala, Mohan, Bholu, Bajinder, Ganga Dutt, Kalam Singh, Devi Ram, Surender, all residents of Barchhapper village; Sonu of Jind and Jeevan of Rohtak district.