New Delhi: Delhi High Court Tuesday declined to suspend the life sentence of a juvenile convicted of murdering an accused in custody outside Rohini Court in 2017.
At the time of the attack near the court premises, he was a minor aged more than 17 years, according to the plea seeking relief.
The convict was associated with the Neeraj Bawana Gang and carried out the murder of Rajesh Durmuth, a member of a rival gang, when the latter was brought by Haryana Police for a hearing, according to Delhi Police. Police said he was also booked in another case in Haryana’s Jhajjar, while he was on interim bail in the current case, which showed he was inclined to misuse his freedom. He was apprehended from the spot and was sentenced this Jan. A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Dinesh Bhatt refused to suspend the sentence after hearing arguments by the counsel for the appellant. The court took into account the fact that he had fired outside a court complex and shot dead a person who was in police custody. The prosecution had highlighted that the convict was a serial offender, who was also named in other cases involving the Neeraj Bawana gang. The prosecution also submitted that the appellant was convicted of the offences of firing and shooting a prisoner who was in police custody, an aggravating factor. The high court has listed the appeal against the conviction and sentence for hearing in Jan.
The defence counsel had submitted that the convict was in custody for seven years and nine months. It was also submitted that there were lapses in the investigation.