UP: Ex-BSP leader among two sentenced to 7 years' imprisonment in murder case

Ghaziabad (UP), Oct 6 (PTI) Two men, including a former BSP leader, have been sentenced to seven years in prison by a court here in a 2004 murder case, a lawyer said on Monday.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Zunaid Muzaffar also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each on the two convicts -- Manish Pandit, who was formerly with the BSP, and Manoj Kumar alias Fauzi.

The case was registered at Sihani Gate police station on November 14, 2004, on a complaint by Vijay Pal Singh.

According to the prosecution, Singh alleged that some unidentified assailants opened fire at his brother Naresh (42) and nephew Jitendra outside their office in Ram Nagar Colony. Both were taken to Yashoda Hospital, where Naresh was declared dead and Jitendra was admitted for surgery.

When Jitendra regained consciousness, he told police that Manish Pandit and Manoj Kumar fired at them. Before opening fire, Pandit said, "Because of you, I was defeated in the election," and then started firing indiscriminately, the prosecution said.

The court found both men guilty and sentenced them to seven years in prison. In case of non-payment of the fine, their sentence will be extended by three months, Additional Government Counsel Mamata Gautam said.

She said the period the accused had already spent in jail would be deducted from their total sentence.

Pandit is a former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader. He contested Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation and Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in the past, she said. PTI COR KIS DIV DIV