Thane: A court in Thane has sentenced a 29-year-old man to life imprisonment for the murder of a local resident after a dispute in 2021, while acquitting his co-accused for lack of evidence.
The gravity of the act, combined with the recovery of the weapon used, leaves no doubt about the culpability of Ankesh Rajendra Gupta, Principal District and Sessions Judge S B Agrawal said in the judgment on Monday, February 16.
The court, while finding Gupta guilty of murder and criminal intimidation, also imposed a collective fine of Rs 1.10 lakh on him, directing that the amount be paid as compensation to the victim’s wife.
The police registered a case against Gupta and Prashant Pradip Gujar (29) on August 6, 2021, for stabbing Sameer Sashikant Pathare to death in the Mumbra area here following a dispute.
Both were charged under sections 302 (murder), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
The prosecution presented 12 witnesses, including the victim’s wife, to depose in the court.
The court said, “The prosecution has successfully established the chain of circumstances and the direct involvement of accused no. 1 (Gupta) in the commission of the offence. The gravity of the act, coupled with the recovery of the weapon used, leaves no room for doubt regarding his culpability.”
While Gupta was handed the life term, the court acquitted Gujar, citing that the prosecution failed to prove his active involvement or shared common intention beyond a reasonable doubt.
