A Jhansi court on Saturday sentenced eight individuals to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1.75 lakh each in connection with a sensational firing case that occurred in broad daylight near the district court eight years ago. The incident, which took place just a few hundred metres from the court premises, resulted in the death of one person and injuries to several others.
During the final hearing on Friday, Additional District and Sessions Judge/Special Judge Anubhav Dwivedi acquitted eight other accused due to lack of evidence. The convicts had been brought to the court from 12 different jails a day before the sentencing, while three accused attended the proceedings via video conferencing and one appeared while on bail.
According to Additional District Government Counsel Devendra Panchal, those convicted are Rinku Gaida (45), Bobby Gaida (40), Sonu Gaida (48), Rajendra Gurjar (38), Prahlad Gurjar (33), Udham Gurjar (32), Bhupendra Gurjar (35), and Kamlesh Yadav (50).
The court acquitted Sardar Singh Gurjar, Rao Raja, Bharat Singh, Sanam Dagar, Gaurav alias Monty, Sagar Rana, Nitesh Patwari, and Rohit alias Rohitash due to lack of evidence. However, except for Rohitash, the others will remain in jail in connection with other criminal cases pending against them.
The Incident
The shootout occurred on the afternoon of July 21, 2018, when land developer Sanjay Verma was returning from a hearing at the Jhansi district court along with his son Sanchit, two bodyguards, and a driver. The hearing pertained to an earlier murder case involving members of both rival groups.
According to the prosecution, as Verma’s SUV reached near Kacheri Chauraha, barely a few hundred metres from the district court, the accused, who had allegedly been lying in wait, opened indiscriminate fire on the vehicle. After the attack, they fled on two-wheelers, allegedly warning Verma against testifying against them in court.
All the victims were rushed to Jhansi Medical College, where one of Verma’s bodyguards, Jai Goswami, succumbed to his injuries.
Legal Proceedings
During the investigation, police booked all 16 accused under Indian Penal Code Sections 148, 149, 302, 307, and 120B for rioting, murder, attempt to murder, and criminal conspiracy. During the trial, the accused were lodged in different jails across Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states.
Background of the Dispute
Police said the attack was the latest chapter in a decades-old land dispute between Sanjay Verma and Sardar Singh. The rivalry dates back to 2004, when Sardar Singh’s nephew, Chandrashekhar, was shot dead in connection with a land dispute. In an alleged retaliatory attack two years later, Verma’s brother Ajay was gunned down in broad daylight while sitting at his jewellery shop in Sarafa Bazar.
Sardar Singh, Rao Raja, and their associates were later convicted in Ajay Verma’s murder and are currently serving life imprisonment in that case.
