NAINITAL: A Nainital court has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for the 2021 murder of Naveen Chandra Arya, a case that centered on a piece of evidence recorded by the perpetrators themselves.
Second Additional Sessions Judge Kuldeep Sharma found Mohit Kumar Arya, Akash Singh, and Nilesh Kumar Arya guilty of the murder, which occurred on the night of December 20, 2021, in the Bhowali region. In addition to the life sentences, the court imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each of the convicts. Failure to pay this penalty will result in an additional three-month prison term. The court further ordered that the total fine of Rs 1.5 lakh be awarded to the victim’s family as compensation.
The investigation into the incident revealed that the violence stemmed from a minor argument over DJ arrangements at a wedding ceremony. The initial verbal altercation between the victim and the prime accused, Mohit Kumar Arya, escalated into a conspiracy to commit murder. The victim was later intercepted on the Tirchakhet route and beaten to death with stones.
The prosecution’s case was bolstered by forensic evidence, including DNA profiling from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Dehradun, which confirmed that bloodstains found on the suspects' clothing and footwear matched the victim. Additionally, a post-mortem report detailed injuries consistent with blunt force trauma caused by stones.
However, the conviction primarily hinged on video footage recorded by the assailants during the attack. The footage, found on a mobile phone belonging to Akash Singh, captured the crime in real-time. Legal sources noted that the video became primary, irrefutable evidence for the prosecution, with its authenticity subsequently verified by the Forensic Science Laboratory in Chandigarh.
Government counsel Ram Singh Rautela led the prosecution during the trial. Following the sentencing, all three convicts were taken into custody to begin their life terms.