CUTTACK: A person out on bail for over seven years was on Wednesday directed by the Orissa High Court to surrender and serve a life sentence to which he was sentenced by the trial court 16 years ago.
“Having examined the material on record, the court is of the final view that the evidence led by the prosecution proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt.
In other words, the appellant has rightly been found guilty for having committed murder of the deceased and therefore, the order of conviction suffers from no legal infirmity”, the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice RK Pattanaik ruled, while dismissing Gura Gauda’s jail criminal appeal.
Gauda of Kumjore under Thuamul Rampur police station limits in Kalahandi district was charged with the murder of a co-villager who had died after being assaulted by him with an ax on May 22, 2003. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder by the court of Kalahandi-Nuapada at Bhawanipatna on August 21, 2006.
He filed the JCRLA on December 20, 2006. It was taken up for hearing first on September 22, 2014 and on that day the High Court granted him bail. The appeal was not taken up till January 6, 2021. Subsequently, the high court tracked down Gouda’s whereabouts and proceeded with his appeal after police reports said he was “hale and hearty” in Kumjore.