Ex-BSP councillor, aide sentenced to life in 2004 murder case; victim's kin says 'delayed justice'

Ghaziabad (UP), Oct 8 (PTI) A local court has sentenced former Bahujan Samaj Party councillor Manish Pandit and his associate Manoj Kumar alias Fauzi to life imprisonment in connection with a 2004 murder case, lawyers involved with the matter said.

Reacting to the sentencing, a family member of the deceased on Wednesday said they got "delayed justice" in a matter that took place due to a "political rivalry".

Additional District and Sessions Judge Zunaid Muzaffar on Monday pronounced the verdict, holding both the accused guilty under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC.

According to the prosecution, the case was registered at the Sihani Gate police station in Ghaziabad on November 14, 2004, based on a complaint filed by Vijay Pal, whose brother Naresh (42) was shot dead and nephew Jitendra injured after unidentified assailants opened fire outside their office in the Ram Nagar Colony.

Naresh was declared dead at the Yashoda Hospital, while Jitendra, after regaining consciousness, told police that Pandit and Manoj Kumar were the shooters.

Before firing, Pandit allegedly said, "I was defeated in the election because of you," referring to his loss in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls which he contested on a BSP ticket.

The court sentenced both convicts to seven years' imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000 each under Section 307 of the IPC, and life imprisonment along with a Rs 25,000 fine each under Section 302 of the IPC.

In case of non-payment of the fine, amounting to Rs 35,000 each, their sentence will be extended by three months, additional government counsel Mamata Gautam said, adding that the time already spent in jail will be deducted from their total term.

Jogendra Singh, the elder brother of survivor Jitendra Singh, told PTI, "We have received delayed justice in the shootout incident. We had no personal enmity with Manish Pandit.

“The attack was purely due to political rivalry, as we supported Samajwadi Party candidate Surendra Kumar Munni, while Pandit was contesting on a BSP ticket." PTI COR KIS ARI