Latur, Jul 8 (PTI) A local court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for murdering a farm worker following a minor dispute in 2019 in Latur district of central Maharashtra, said the prosecution on Wednesday.
The Additional Sessions Court at Nilanga town convicted the accused, Balaji Ramrao Varvate, a resident of Peth in Nilanga tehsil, for the murder of farm worker Ankush Nivrutti Awale (55) and handed him life imprisonment under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Additional Sessions Judge SB Pawar also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the accused. In case of default in payment of the fine, he will have to undergo an additional one-year rigorous imprisonment, said an official release issued by the Latur district SP’s office, quoting the verdict.
Varvate was also booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act as the victim was a Dalit. The court sentenced him to seven years of rigorous imprisonment under the Act, said the release.
The conviction was secured through a scientific investigation, strong evidence collection and effective coordination between police and the prosecution, officials said.
The incident took place on March 13, 2019, at around 8.30 pm in a farm located on the Nilanga-Ansarwada road. A dispute broke out between the duo over handing over the key of a house, which later turned violent. Varvate attacked Awale with a wooden stick and an axe, causing severe injuries to the latter’s hands, legs, back, abdomen, chest and forehead, said the release.
Awale was initially admitted to the Rural Hospital at Nilanga and later shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Latur city. However, he succumbed to his injuries while being taken for further treatment on March 15, 2019.
Following a complaint lodged by the deceased’s son Ram, the Nilanga police registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC and the SC/ST Act against Varvate.
The investigation in the case was conducted by then-Sub-Divisional Police Officer Gopal Ranjankar and Police Inspector Anil Chormale, while criminal lawyer KV Pandharikar was the Additional Public Prosecutor. PTI COR RSY
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