Lifer for killers of Satyajit
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 18 2018:
Additional Session Judge, Fast Track Court Manipur East, W Tonen Meitei, sentenced three murder convicts to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000 each today.
The three individuals were convicted by the Court on January 12 for the murder of one Polem Satyajit alias Satyajitkumar in 1989, at Khoyathong Pukhri Achouba Mapal.
Satyajit was a football player, a goalkeeper turning out for NISA and represented the State on many occasions.
Two of the convicts, Khangjarakpam Basanta (60) s/o Kh Ahanjao of Sagolband Meino Leirak and Pangeibam Ramananda (62) s/o P Ibotombi Singh of Sagolband Salam Leikai were produced before the Court from Sajiwa Central Jail while the main convict of the murder case, Pukhrambam Joykumar alias Sahajahan (60) s/o P Shyamnagor of Sagolband Meino Leirak appeared before the Court and filed an application prayer for surrender.
The application mentioned that he was unable to appear before the Court on the day of the announcement of the judgement order (January 12) as he was ill and under medication prescribed by his doctor.
The application also prayed for the Court to allow him to carry the prescribed medicines with him to jail.
The Court allowed the prayer for surrender and also allowed the convict to carry his medicine inside Manipur Central Jail, Sajiwa.
The Court also directed the jail doctor to check the condition of the main convict P Joykumar from time to time with the help of other experts, as and when needed.
During the sentence hearing today, RK Pratima, Public Prosecution (D) cum Prosecution Director, submitted that the punishment for committing the murder is death or imprisonment for life with fine.
The Prosecution Director also submitted that the convicts brutally killed Polem Satyajit in revenge and as such they should be awarded capital punishment.
On the other hand, Advocate Ch Bimol Singh, the defense counsel of the convicts, prayed for awarding minimum sentence to the convicts as all of them are now senior citizens of the country aged about 60 years.
The defense counsel also prayed to the Court to go through the provisions of Section 360 CrPC and Section 4 of the Probation of Offender Act 1958 at the time of considering the sentences.
After hearing both parties and going through all the observations, the Court decided that the present trial is not one of the rarest of the rare cases and as such it is not fit for awarding capital punishment.
Hence the Court sentenced the three convicts to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000 each.
It may be mentioned that today's sentence was announced 28 years after the three convicts, along with three other deceased co-accused, committed the heinous crime.