PATNA: Bihar politician Manorama Devi's son, Rocky Yadav, and two others, on Wednesday, were sentenced to life imprisonment by a lower court for the brutal murder of class-XII student Aditya Sachdeva in a road rage incident last year.
Additional district judge of Gaya, Sachhidanand Singh, also sentenced Rocky's father, notorious history-sheeter Bindeshwari Yadav alias Bindi Yadav, to six years imprisonment for criminal conspiracy to destroy evidence and helping his 26-year-old son evade arrest. Security was beefed up on the court premises before the quantum of punishment was pronounced.
The court had convicted the four accused on August 31 for the murder of 19-year-old Aditya Sachdeva, son of a prominent Gaya businessman Shyam Sachdeva, on May 7, 2016 evening. Rocky Yadav, his uncle Teni Yadav and Rajesh Kumar, who was the bodyguard of suspended JD(U) legislator Manorama Devi, were held guilty under Section 302 of IPC.
Rocky Yadav has also slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh and, he would have to undergo imprisonment for two additional years if he does not pay it. The court slapped a fine of Rs 30,000 each on Teni Yadav and Rakesh Kumar. Besides, Rajesh Kumar was also sentenced to two additional years of imprisonment under Section 217. All the sentences will run concurrently, ruled the court.
Aditya's father, Shyam Sachdeva said, "It is a triumph of justice. I know my son will never come back alive, but I am glad that his killers were punished through the judicial system in just sixteen months." Soon after the four accused were convicted, his wife, Chand Sachdeva, had said she did not want Rocky sentenced to death. "No mother should go through the pain of losing her son," she had said.
Public prosecutor Sartaz Ali Khan said the case was based on "scientific, foolproof evidence gathered during the elaborate investigation". Rocky Yadav's lawyer, Kaisar Saifuddin, however, disagreed, saying: "This judgment and sentencing came despite glaring loopholes in the case. We will soon approach Patna High Court".
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who had assured Aditya Sachdeva's parents of justice, had suspended Manorama Devi from JD(U) in the wake of the murder.
Aditya Sachdeva was shot dead when he was returning home with three friends in his father's Maruti Swift car after attending a birthday party in nearby Bodh Gaya. Rocky Yadav was enraged when Aditya's car overtook his Land Rover car. So he and his companions chased Aditya's car and shot him dead.
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