Bhubaneswar, April 8 – The District and Sessions Court in Keonjhar district of Odisha on Wednesday sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment in connection with a murder case that took place in 2022.
The convicted individuals – identified as Uttam Kumar Mahakud, Upendra Kumar Behera, and Nabakishore Mahakud – have also been ordered to pay a fine of ₹10,000 each. If they fail to pay the fine, they will have to undergo an additional one-year imprisonment, according to the court’s order.
The deceased, Mayadhar Behera, 48, and the three convicted individuals are residents of Kadakala village under the Nayakote police station area of Keonjhar district. The deceased owned a chicken and egg shop at the Kadakala village market.
"On February 26, 2022, the accused Uttam Mahakud went to the victim's shop around 8 p.m., where the two engaged in a heated verbal argument over some past issues. An enraged Uttam later returned to his house and came back after about half an hour along with the other accused persons – Nabakishore Mahakud and Upendra Behera," said Pradeep Kumar Das, the public prosecutor.
The public prosecutor further added that the accused Upendra, who also ran a chicken shop at the same market, had been harboring a grudge against the victim over some past enmity. The accused, armed with various dangerous weapons, reached the victim's Chicken shop and started assaulting him brutally. The victim, who sustained serious injuries on different parts of his body, reportedly succumbed due to heavy bleeding at the scene.
The accused later left the place, leaving the victim's body in a pool of blood. Based on the complaint lodged by the victim’s elder brother, the police registered a case and launched an investigation into the matter.
The police arrested the accused Uttam and Upendra the next day, while the absconding Nabakishore was apprehended by the police from his hideout on March 22, 2022.
The court, after examining the evidence, including the statements of eyewitnesses, found the accused guilty of the offence and pronounced the judgment on Wednesday. The case was conducted by Pradip Kumar Das, who appeared on behalf of the prosecution as the Public Prosecutor (Cadre).