A court in Alwar sentenced former BJP district president Inderjit Singh Pata and eight relatives to life imprisonment for Avtar Singh’s 2016 murder. The verdict, delivered after 10 years and 18 days, has revived focus on the family feud and Pata’s recent government appointment.
A district court in Rajasthan’s Alwar on Saturday sentenced former BJP district president Inderjit Singh Pata and eight others to life imprisonment in the 2016 murder of a man allegedly killed over a village sarpanch election rivalry.
The District and Sessions Court held all nine accused guilty and also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of them. The verdict came nearly 10 years and 18 days after the crime, making it one of the region’s most closely watched cases linked to election-related violence.
District and Sessions Judge Anant Bhandari delivered the judgment after examining the statements of 22 witnesses, medical reports and other documentary evidence. Besides Inderjit Singh Pata, those convicted include Anoop Singh, Kamaljeet Singh, Gurvachan Singh, Jaspal Singh, Kulwant Singh, Aman Singh, Harvinder Singh and Vishvendra Singh. According to the prosecution, all the convicts belong to the same extended family, including Pata’s brother, nephews and other relatives.
According to the case, Avtar Singh was attacked on the evening of June 10, 2016, while sitting at a shop in Pata village under the Naugaon police station area. Prosecutors said the attack stemmed from animosity arising out of a sarpanch election.
The prosecution alleged that a group of 8 to 10 men armed with hammers, swords, knives, iron pipes, hockey sticks and lathis assaulted Avtar Singh. During the attack, Inderjit Singh allegedly exhorted the assailants by shouting, “Maaro inko maaro” (Kill them).
Avtar Singh suffered grievous injuries and was rushed to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead. A murder case and other related charges were subsequently registered at Naugaon police station, and the police later filed a chargesheet against all the accused.
CONVICTS SEEN SMILING AFTER VERDICT
Eyewitnesses said that even after being sentenced to life imprisonment, the convicts showed no visible remorse. A video that surfaced after the verdict purportedly showed the convicted men smiling and boarding a police vehicle from the court premises, drawing attention and discussion among those present.
FAMILY SAYS JUSTICE DELIVERED AFTER A DECADE
Following the verdict, Ajaypal, the son of the deceased, said his family had finally received justice after “10 years and 18 days.”
He said his father and Inderjit Singh were relatives, but had backed rival candidates in the sarpanch election. According to him, after the candidate supported by his father won, the rivalry escalated and culminated in the murder. He described the court’s verdict as a victory for justice.
POLITICAL ATTENTION AFTER RECENT APPOINTMENT
The verdict has also triggered political discussion as the Rajasthan government had reportedly appointed Inderjit Singh Pata as a member of the District Public Grievance Committee around 10 days ago.