Raebareli: A district court here has sentenced 14 people, including a former Samajwadi Party district president, to life imprisonment in the 2019 murder case of a man, while acquitting two others for lack of evidence, prosecution officials said on Wednesday.
District Judge Amit Pal Singh also imposed a fine of Rs 35,000 each on the 14 convicts, who were subsequently sent to jail, they said.
According to the prosecution, Aditya Singh, a resident of Sikandarpur in Maharajganj, had gone with his friends to a roadside eatery on October 9, 2019. His body was subsequently found near Garhi Khas the following morning.
The police had accused the eatery owner, his son and several others of involvement in the murder.
After investigation, police filed a charge sheet against 16 people, including eatery owner Suresh Yadav, his son Arkit Yadav, former SP district president and 2022 Vidhan Sabha candidate RP Yadav, Harshit Verma, Ramesh Yadav, Atul Tiwari, Gaya Baksh Singh, Manu Bari, Jaichand alias Jhuraha, Ram Sumer alias Sumer, Lavkush, Vinod, Sachin Soni, Saurabh Sharma, Ramkrishna Yadav and Abhitej Pratap Singh.
The accused were charged with murder, assault and criminal conspiracy, among other offences.
The trial was conducted in the district judge's court. All the accused had earlier been released on bail by the Allahabad High Court during the proceedings.
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On Tuesday, the court acquitted Ramkrishna Yadav and Abhitej Pratap Singh, while convicting the remaining 14 and sentencing them to life imprisonment.
Government counsel (criminal) Vivek Singh Rathore said the case related to the murder of Aditya alias Ravi, who was allegedly killed by the eatery owner and his staff.
He said an FIR was lodged by Pradeep Singh and a charge sheet was subsequently filed against 16 accused.
"The court has sentenced 14 accused to life imprisonment and acquitted two. After examining the court order, we will consider filing an appeal," Rathore said.
