A Pune court on Thursday sentenced nine men to life imprisonment for allegedly killing a Congress party worker in Hadapsar’s Gondhale Nagar in 2013, following a dispute.
Most of the accused — identified as Vicky Jadhav, Vaibhav Bhadale, Akshay Ingulkar, Shrikant Atole, Amol Shegde, Rahul Kaule, Vicky Patil, Suraj Phadke and Akash Shinde — were linked to the Hindu Rashtra Sena — a radical Hindutva outfit, said police. Police said the accused had attacked Praskash Anna Narayan Jondhale (46), who was a resident of Hadapsar’s Gondhale Nagar area, with sharp weapons while he was returning home on a motorcycle at 10.45 pm on July 8, 2013, following a dispute.
Based on a complaint filed by Jondhale’s friend Rajendra Pingle (44), an FIR was registered against the accused under Indian Penal Code sections 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 302 (whoever commits murder shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine), and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation); and relevant sections of the Indian Arms Act at the Hadapsar police station.
Police launched an investigation, and the nine accused were arrested. Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam was appointed the special public prosecutor in the case by the government.
During the course of investigation, the complainant’s son Rushikesh Pingle was attacked by some unidentified assailants on January 18, 2020. Police suspected the incident was linked to the accused or their supporters for threatening the complainant and his family.
A trial was conducted before Sessions Judge KP Nandedkar, and the prosecution examined 19 witnesses in the case. Advocate Nikam argued that Jondhale was ‘murdered brutally’, and even the complainant was attacked.
“Today (on January 12, 2023), the court is awarding life imprisonment to all the accused, holding them all guilty under IPC sections 302 and 506(2), and Section 7 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act,” observed Nikam.
