Early Times Report
JAMMU, Aug 12: In a significant verdict, Additional Sessions Judge Jammu Deepak Sethi has handed down a life imprisonment sentence to Chandar Bhanu Sharma for his involvement in the killing and abduction of Kashmiri Pandit Ashok Kumar Kichloo.
The case dates back to November 30, 2009, when Smt. Nirmala Kichloo, a resident of Kothey Sheikh, Miran Sahib, filed a report with the police. She narrated the sequence of events, stating that Chander Bhanu Sharma, a frequent visitor to their home, had approached her husband, Ashok Kumar, claiming their driver Vinod Kumar had been in an accident. Sharma requested Ashok Kumar's assistance, as he knew how to drive. Sharma left with Ashok Kumar in the family's Alto vehicle (bearing Regn. No. JK02AG/4043). The vehicle was driven by Sharma himself. Hours later, Sharma returned, informing Nirmala that he had been called back by her husband to accompany her. Sharma and Nirmala left the house, locking up and leaving the keys in the vehicle. During their journey, Sharma claimed the vehicle had broken down on Jewel Chowk flyover. He stopped another passing vehicle, asking Nirmala to proceed to the hospital in that vehicle while he dealt with the car issue. At the hospital, Nirmala could not locate her husband or Vinod Kumar. Concerned, she contacted her brother, Radhey Sham, who arrived on a scooter. Later, Sharma returned to the hospital with the car, suggesting that Vinod Kumar might have been transferred to Gandhi Nagar Hospital. Nirmala accompanied Sharma to Gandhi Nagar Hospital, where he entered the building while she remained in the car. Upon his return, Sharma suggested they visit Vinod Kumar's house, but Nirmala declined and instead asked to go home. Upon returning, Nirmala found her home in disarray, with the main gate locks open and the house ransacked. Sharma then fled the scene with the Alto car. Soon after, Nirmala's brother, Radhey Sham, also arrived. To Nirmala's dismay, her husband was missing. She suspected Sharma had deceived her husband and kidnapped him with malicious intent. The police registered a case under Section 364 R.P.C. and commenced an investigation.
The investigation revealed a trail of events leading to the discovery of Ashok Kumar Kichloo's body in critical condition near Muralian, soaked in blood. Chander Bhanu Sharma, son of Manohar Lal Sharma, hailing from Prem Nagar, Miran Sahib, was promptly arrested. The case proceeded to court, and Additional Sessions Judge Jammu Deepak Sethi oversaw the proceedings.
After hearing Assistant Public Prosecutor Vikrant Sharma's arguments on behalf of the Union Territory, Judge Sethi ruled that life imprisonment is the standard punishment, reserving the death sentence for exceptional cases. Taking into account the entirety of the circumstances, Judge Sethi found life imprisonment to be a fitting penalty for Sharma, as the case did not meet the criteria for the "rarest of rare" category. Consequently, Sharma has been sentenced to serve simple life imprisonment for the offence under Section 302 of the RPC. Additionally, he will undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years for the offence under Section 457 RPC. Both sentences will run concurrently, pending confirmation by the High Court. |
