Murder Case: Odisha Court Sentences 3 Men to Life Imprisonment

A court in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district has sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment for murdering a 17-year-old boy in 2021.

Mayurbhanj District Additional Sessions Judge Satyanarayan Patra has found Sovakar Mohanto (53), Jatrindranath Mohanto (43), and Kamal Lochan Mohanto (45) guilty, along with imposing a fine of Rs 50,000. In the event of failure to pay the fine, the convicted individuals will serve an additional six months in jail.

Background

Krushna Chandra Das, the additional public prosecutor, stated that the trio was apprehended based on a complaint lodged by the deceased’s father, Mantu Mohanta. A longstanding land dispute between the two families led to the fatal attack on June 10, 2021.

On that day, Kamal, Jatindra, and Sovakar visited Mantu’s residence to assert their claim over a disputed piece of land. A heated argument ensued between the accused and the deceased’s family. Despite Harekrushna’s proposal to resolve the matter through a village committee decision, the accused refused and assaulted him with sharp weapons and bamboo sticks, inflicting severe injuries. Harekrushna was rushed to PRM Medical College and Hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Charges

Mantu filed a complaint at Moroda police station, leading to the registration of a case under sections 341, 294, 120-B, 302, and 34 of the IPC against the accused. Subsequently, following their arrest and judicial custody, the court handed down life imprisonment sentences and imposed fines of Rs 60,000 each, with an additional six months of imprisonment in case of default.

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