Agra Court Delivers Justice in 2017 Child Murder Case
The district court in Agra has delivered a landmark verdict, sentencing a 30-year-old man to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of a nine-year-old boy that shocked the city in 2017. The court found Ayush Sharma guilty of beheading the child after the boy caught him attempting theft at his own home.
The Tragic Incident That Shook Agra
On November 17, 2017, Deepanshi Gautam returned home from the market to discover her worst nightmare. She found her nine-year-old son Krish lying in a pool of blood with severe cut marks on his neck. The horrified mother immediately rushed the child to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival.
According to Additional District Government Counsel Yogesh Baghel, the accused Ayush Sharma was the family's former tenant who had lived in their house for over four years. Sharma, who was unemployed and preparing for government examinations at the time, had entered the house with the intention of robbery.
The tragedy unfolded when Krish, a Class 5 student, discovered Sharma in the house. In a calculated move, Sharma asked the boy for a glass of water. As the innocent child turned toward the kitchen to fulfill the request, Sharma attacked him with a sharp-edged weapon, ending the young life in the most brutal manner.
Investigation and Arrest
The same day, an FIR was registered at Etmaddaullah police station under IPC section 302 for murder. The investigation took a crucial turn when police learned that Krish's younger sister Yashika had witnessed Sharma leaving the house around the time of the crime.
Based on her statement, police arrested Sharma at his residence in Agra just two days after the murder. During interrogation, Sharma led investigators to the recovery of the murder weapon and his blood-stained clothes. Forensic analysis later confirmed that the clothes carried the victim's blood, providing crucial evidence in the case.
A chargesheet was filed on January 31, 2018, at the Agra court, and the case proceeded to trial after Sharma denied all allegations against him.
Court Proceedings and Final Verdict
During the trial, Sharma attempted to evade responsibility by claiming he was not present at the scene and that police had coerced him into giving an incriminating statement. He also pointed out that his name wasn't mentioned in the initial FIR.
However, Additional District and Sessions Judge Virat Kumar Srivastava rejected these arguments, relying instead on multiple pieces of compelling evidence:
- Eyewitness accounts, including the crucial testimony from the victim's sister
- Technical evidence placing Sharma at the crime scene
- Post-mortem findings confirming the nature of injuries
- Forensic evidence linking the weapon and clothing to the crime
The court dismissed Sharma's plea for leniency and sentenced him to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 50,000. The judge further ruled that failure to pay the fine would result in an additional six months of imprisonment.
This verdict brings closure to a case that has haunted the Agra community for years, serving as a stark reminder that justice, though sometimes delayed, ultimately prevails in our judicial system.
