Bahraich court sentences main accused in 2024 violence to death, nine others get life terms
Bahraich: A court in Bahraich awarded the death penalty to Sarfaraz, the prime accused in the October 2024 violence that erupted during a Durga Puja idol immersion procession, while nine others were sentenced to life imprisonment and three men were acquitted for lack of evidence on Thursday .
The clashes broke out after the shooting of Ram Gopal Mishra, a young resident who was killed when he allegedly attempted to replace a flag on a house belonging to a member of the minority community. Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Kumar Sharma, delivering the verdict, said the assault was premeditated and intended to create fear and assert dominance. The court described the murder as a deep and lasting blow to Mishra’s family, noting that he had been married only four months earlier.
Special DGC Criminal Pramod Kumar Singh said the prosecution presented eight witnesses and relied on ballistic analysis to establish that Sarfaraz fired the fatal shots. He said the court viewed the killing as a case that met the threshold of the “rarest of rare”, requiring the maximum punishment to uphold justice and reflect society’s conscience.
The prosecution recalled the extent of the violence, noting that Mishra had several gunshot wounds, blunt-force injuries, and evidence of torture. With riots, arson, damage to public property, and the suspension of internet services, the incident triggered unrest in Bahraich. Many police officers were suspended from duty for failing to handle the situation.
Those sentenced to life imprisonment are Abdul Hameed, Faheem, Saif Ali, Javed Khan, Zeeshan alias Raja, Nankau, Maruf Ali, Shoaib Khan and Talib alias Sablu. The court observed that some among them were young and appeared to have acted without provocation, leaving open the possibility of reform.
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Maharashtra class 12 chemistry paper circulated on social media before exam, leak suspected
Nagpur (PTI): Police are investigating a suspected leak after the class 12 Chemistry question paper was allegedly circulated on social media in Nagpur ahead of the exam being conducted by the Maharashtra board, officials said on Saturday.
The exam malpractice came to light on Wednesday at a high school examination centre after a female student’s frequent visits to the washroom raised suspicion.
Invigilators seized the student's smartphone. Its analysis showed that the question paper had been shared on a WhatsApp group before the exam began, officials said, adding that possible answers were also exchanged in the same group.
Based on the student's statement, another pupil is being questioned.
The preliminary investigation suggests a person linked to a private coaching shared the question paper for money, officials said.
A case was registered at Sadar police station, and an investigation was launched.
