In Odisha, a court has sentenced 14 murder accused to life imprisonment after 15 years.
The Additional District Judge found 16 individuals guilty, but two of them had already passed away, so the remaining 14 were given life imprisonment.
Arpit Pattnaik
An Odisha court convicted 14 people in a 15-year-old murder case, sentencing them to life imprisonment. The incident occurred on March 12, 2009, during Holi, when the victim, Siba Nagabansa, was attacked by 16 individuals at his residence in Ghasi Sahi of Paralakhemundi due to a previous dispute. Siba later passed away due to his injuries.
The legal proceedings continued for years before all 16 accused were convicted, with two of them already deceased. Additional District Judge (ADJ) Pradeep Kumar Samal sentenced life imprisonment to the 14 remaining convicts.
According to public prosecutor Brundaban Nayak, while two accused persons had died, the remaining 14 were sentenced to life imprisonment, with a fine of Rs 10,000 imposed on each of them.
Providing details of the crime, Nayak stated that the accused had entered Siba's house and attacked him while he was asleep after Holi celebrations. Siba passed away six days later while undergoing treatment at a hospital. The police filed a FIR against the accused on the same day, leading to their subsequent arrest. The police filed a chargesheet on August 9, 2010, accusing the convicts, who were on bail.
