Rayagada: A local court here sentenced three men to rigorous life imprisonment Saturday after convicting them in a 2023 murder case.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Alpana Swain convicted Ashok Goud, Bhagirathi Goud and Bikram Goud under Sections 302/34 of the IPC and relevant provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on each of them.
In default of payment, they will serve an additional six-month term of rigorous imprisonment.
This was stated here by additional public prosecutor Ramprasad Patra.
According to the prosecution, the case dates back to June 9, 2023, when Gajendra Naik of Kashnadora village in Kashipur block visited his farmland to oversee ground levelling work being carried out with an earth mover by operator Raghu Jhodia and his assistants, Ananta Majhi and Chaitanya Majhi.
At that time, Bhagirathi, along with Ashok and Bikram, confronted Naik, asking him to show the boundaries of the land.
They then attacked him with axes, striking his legs and back.
As others at the site raised an alarm, the accused fled the scene.
Naik was rushed to the Kashipur Community Health Centre in a critical condition, where doctors pronounced him dead.
Following a complaint filed by Naik’s son, Mihir Kumar Naik, Kashipur police registered a case and launched an investigation.
Police arrested the three accused June 12, 2023, and seized the three axes used in the crime.
PNN
