Mumbai: 3 get life term for death of youth after assault over old grudge

A sessions court in Dindoshi on Wednesday sentenced three men to life imprisonment for beating a 26-year-old with a stump in 2017 over a seven-year-old resentment, leading to his death the following day.

It imposed a fine of over Rs. 50,000 on each of the convicted youths - Sudhakar Bhandari, 40, Sagar Bhandari, 32 and Lalit Bhandari, 37. The fine amount the court directed to be paid to the mother of the deceased as compensation.

The victim Hemant Rawat had gone to Malad’s Ekvira Devi civic garden on Jan 29, 2017 and had called his friend of 15 years. Rawat was drunk and was watching the cricket match, when one of the accused, whom he had beaten seven years ago, picked a quarrel with him over the incident. Prosecutor Sachin Jadhav said that Sudhakar assaulted him with the stump, waist belt and hockey stick on the head and chest, others too joined in the assault. When his friend tried to intervene, they threatened and scuffled with him and he fled. The friend had deposed as an eyewitness in the case.

Prosecutor Jadhav said the victim had suffered as many as 28 injuries all over his body. In its judgment Additional Sessions Judge SU Baghele observed that the injuries show he was severely beaten.

While deciding the quantum of punishment, the court stated in its judgment that adequate punishment and fine needs to be awarded considering the nature and gravity of the crime as well as the age of the victim at the time of the incident.