Delhi HC upholds life sentence of 2 convicts in woman's murder case of 1997

New Delhi [India], April 21 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Tuesday upheld the life sentence of two convicts in a 29-year-old murder case of a woman, whose body was found at a house in Shiv Puri under the Dabri Police Station area on May 9, 1997.
The victim, Dooja Devi, was murdered by the appellants during a robbery. Both convicts, Anil Kumar alias Kallu and Surya Narain, were last seen with the deceased before the crime.

On examination of the body, it was found that the neck of the victim had been slit with a sharp-edged weapon. There were three deep cut marks on the neck and a chunni was found tied around it. There was also a small cut mark on the left shoulder of the victim. A vegetable-cutting darati was found lying near the refrigerator. The rooms on the first floor of the house were found ransacked. The main gate of the house was locked from inside, while the rear gate was found open, indicating a case of murder and robbery.
The trial court had convicted both accused under Sections 394, 302, and 34 of the IPC on May 1, 2004. On May 5, 2004, both appellants were sentenced to seven years of imprisonment for causing hurt while committing robbery under Section 394/34 IPC and directed to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 each. They were further sentenced to life imprisonment for murder under Section 302/34 IPC and directed to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 each.
Both convicts had challenged the trial court judgement, and were on bail during the pendency of their appeals.
A division bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja dismissed the appeals and upheld the conviction and sentence.
"The prosecution has successfully proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. No perversity or illegality is shown in the findings of the Trial Court," the bench said.
The High Court held that when all the circumstances are taken cumulatively, including homicidal death, last seen evidence, known identities of the accused to witnesses who had seen them in the vicinity before and after the murder, recovery of stolen articles at the instance of the appellants, recovery of blood-stained clothes from the possession of Surya Narain, motive for robbery, and medical and forensic corroboration -- they form a complete and unbroken chain leading only to the guilt of the appellants.
"Consequently, the appeals are dismissed, and the conviction and sentence awarded to the appellants, namely Anil Kumar and Surya Narain, are affirmed," the High Court held.
The court directed both convicts to surrender before the Jail Superintendent within one week to serve their remaining sentence, and warned that in the event of failure to surrender, the state shall take appropriate steps to ensure their arrest. (ANI)