Judge breaks nib, signs death sentence for murder convict
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 05 2019: Session Judge, Senapati, A Noutuneshwari Devi has awarded death sentence to the main convict involved in the murder of Pukrihongbam Memi Chanu in August last year, apart from awarding life imprisonment to a co-convict and 3 years and 6 months imprisonment respectively to two other women convicted in connection with murder case.

The Court also directed a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to be paid to the victim's family.

The quantum of punishment was announced today after the sentence hearing of the case against the main convict Yumkhaibam Rohit alias Rajesh (29) s/o Y Rijauddin of Khergao Makha Leikai, Kshetrigao, co-convicts Md Farish Shah (18) s/o (L) Faruk Shah of Kshetrigao Thambalkhong Makha Leikai, Rehana (50) d/o Abdullah of Khergao Makha Leikai, Kshetrigao, Farjina (23) d/o Habi of Khergao Makha Leikai, Kshetrigao, as well as another individual (who has since been acquitted from the case) Leishangthem Nungchanba alias Ramesh (35) s/o Yaima of Leishangthem Awang Leikai.

It may be recalled that yesterday, the Court convicted Rohit under section 302 (murder) and 201 IPC (for causing disappearance of evidence) and Md Farish Khan under section 302 (murder), 201 IPC (for causing disappearance of evidence), 34 IPC (common intention) and 213 IPC (taking gift to screen an offender from punishment).

The Court also convicted Rehana under section 201 IPC (for causing disappearing of evidence) and Farjina under section 202 IPC (for intentional omission to give information of offence by person bound to inform).

All the convicted individuals were brought from Sajiwa Central Jail and Manipur Central Jail for the sentence hearing today before the Court.

During the sentence hearing, Koshia Mao, Additional Public Prosecutor, submitted that Rohit was convicted for murder which is heinous offence and mentioned that one can hardly imagine what torture and brutality, the victim must have faced during the crime.

The APP continued that Rohit hit the victim on her head with a wooden stump and then hit her several times on the head and face with a stone pestle while the co-convict Md Farish Khan strangulated her using a rope.

The APP conveyed that this has to be taken into consideration while granting punishment to Rohit and added that not only this, after the commission of the murder, he (Rohit) removed all the gold ornaments worn by the victim before packing the dead body inside the gunny bags.

He then went to Rashid & Sons Jewellery Store, Masjid Road, Imphal and sold off the gold ornaments for Rs 59, 000.After selling off the ornaments, Rohit came back to his locality and on the way he met Farish and gave him Rs 7000 so that Farish would remain silent and refrain from disclosing about the crime to anyone.

The APP continued that thereafter, in the midnight of August 14, at about 11.30 pm, Rohit and Farish brought the dead body on a bicycle (with Rohit steering and Farish pushing the cycle from the back) and headed towards Ml river and dumped the dead body into the river.

The APP prayed for awarding capital punishment to the prime convict explaining that if he is made to live in this society, other innocent woman will become his prey and he will continue to outrage the dignity of other women.

The APP further prayed for awarding proper punishments to the co convicts Md Farish Shah, Rehana and Farjina as per the law.

On the other hand, the defense counsels of the main convict Y Rohit and co-convict Md Farish Shah submitted that both the convicts are orphans and their family (wife and children) are living in miserable and pitiable conditions.

Claiming that there are no previous antecedents in their past careers, the counsels prayed for leniency while sentencing them.

The defense counsel for the convict Rehana and Farjina submitted that Rehana is a widow and is the sole bread earner of her family.

She is illiterate and she does not know the prevailing law of the country and as such she may be excused for the offence committed by her, counsel claimed adding that she had cleaned the room (scene of the crime) as usual without knowing the fact that the crime was committed in her house.

The counsel claimed that Farjina was sick at the time she was arrested and she did not inform about the crime in time as she had no idea that she was bound to inform about the crime to the police and as such she deserves leniency.

The Court, after hearing the APP and the defense counsels in detail, sentenced the convict Y Rohit alias Rajesh to death by hanging.

The Court further sentenced Md Farish Shah to life imprisonment, Rehana to 3 years simple imprisonment and Farjina to 6 months simple imprisonment.

The Court then recommended a sum of Rs 10,00, 000 to be given to the victim's father Pukhrihongbam Gourasing Meetei by the District Legal Services Authority, Senapati, within a period of 60 days from the date of receipt of the order.

It may be mentioned that today's death sentence announced by the Session Court is the second such sentence awarded within 8 months, as on July 31 last year, the same Judge, A Noutuneshwari Devi, sentenced a rape and murder convict R David (24) s/o Ngounirang alias Charang of Maram Kavanam village, under section 6 of POCSO Act and section 302 IPC, for committing the rape and murder of a 4 year and 3 months old minor girl.

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