Life Imprisonment for Highway Eatery Owner in Gruesome 2016 Murder Case
A sessions court in Gangapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, has delivered a landmark verdict, convicting and sentencing highway eatery owner Santosh More to rigorous life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh for the brutal murder of transporter Anil Sharma in 2016. The case, which revolved around a financial dispute, had sent shockwaves across the district due to its horrific nature.
Details of the Gruesome Crime and Court Proceedings
The prosecution presented a chilling account of events. According to court documents, Sharma had lent More approximately Rs 20 lakh between 2011 and 2016 for a house purchase. When the debt remained unpaid, tensions escalated between the two men. On January 17, 2016, More invited Sharma to Hotel Nakshtra under the pretext of celebrating his birthday.
In the early hours of January 18, 2016, inside the hotel premises, More used his licensed revolver to shoot Sharma three times in the head. In a gruesome attempt to conceal the crime, More and his staff then decapitated the body, removed the clothing, and disposed of the head and torso in separate nullahs—specifically Ganda nullah and the nullah near Maa-Bap Dargah.
Investigation, Evidence, and Additional Convictions
Sharma was reported missing the following day, prompting his brother to file a complaint. An FIR was registered, leading to More's arrest on January 21, 2016. Acting on More's disclosure statement, police recovered the severed head and torso from different drainage channels. The murder weapon was seized from More's residence a day later, with forensic analysis confirming that bullet fragments from the victim's brain matched More's revolver.
Additional Sessions Judge SB Bahalkar, in the judgment delivered on April 13, treated the recovery of body parts based on the accused's statement as a critical link in the chain of circumstantial evidence. The court also relied on testimony from the victim's brother to establish motive, noting that the financial transaction was convincingly proven.
In related developments, the court convicted three of More's aides—Vishnu Ikhe, Raju Raut, and Sudam Khandagle—under Section 201 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code for destruction of evidence. They were sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment. Notably, these individuals were arrested on February 23, ahead of the judgment, after being out on bail during the trial. However, five other co-accused were acquitted due to insufficient evidence to establish common intention.
Court's Rationale and Compensation Order
The court declined to impose the death penalty on More, observing that the case did not fall into the "rarest of rare" category. Instead, it directed that the Rs 1 lakh fine be paid as compensation to the victim's wife. This verdict brings a measure of closure to a case that had captivated public attention for years, highlighting the severe consequences of violent disputes over money.
