Aligarh: A fast track court in Muzaffarnagar on Wednesday sentenced a 65-year-old man to death for kidnapping and later killing a 45-year-old farmer after a Rs 5 lakh ransom demand failed in 1999.
Calling the crime “rarest of rare” and “extremely brutal and ruthless”, the court noted that the convict’s conduct during the proceedings “did not indicate any remorse for the crime”. It also flagged the 26-year delay in deciding the case as a “serious concern”, saying “prolonged trials undermine public confidence in the justice system”, and called for structural reforms to ensure time-bound hearings.
On Dec 9, 1999, the victim, Salim, a resident of Chhapar village, was travelling to Haridwar by tractor-trolley with his 20-year-old son Harun and two relatives to sell poplar wood when three armed men, including Shahnawaz, intercepted them near a canal and abducted Harun and Mukarram at gunpoint, according to the police complaint. The kidnappers demanded Rs 5 lakh in ransom and called the family to a forest area. On Jan 19, Salim went there with his cousin Iliyas and offered to stay in Harun’s place so the latter could arrange the ransom. His body was found in Laksar, Haridwar, on Jan 25.
When the ransom was not secured, Salim was killed. Iliyas was later rescued by police and Shahnawaz was arrested.
Mukarram escaped two days later and told the family that Harun remained captive.
Referring to the need for continuity in trials, the judge observed that “frequent transfers of judicial officers can affect case disposal as a new judge has to familiarise himself with the case afresh”. The court suggested that “unnecessary transfers of judicial officers should be controlled” and stressed the need for an adequate number of judges and trained staff. The order also called for wider adoption of e-filing, video-conferencing, digital records and modern case-management systems. It emphasised reducing unnecessary adjournments and ensuring time-bound hearings, while calling for better coordination between the police and prosecution and increased use of forensic and scientific evidence.