Mumbai: Sessions Court Sentences Juice Vendor To Life Imprisonment For killing Dumper Owner Over Parking Conflict

Mumbai: The sessions court has recently sentenced a lime juice vendor to life imprisonment for killing an owner of the dumper in February 2016, over a scuffle for parking. The court has asked state district legal services authority to award compensation to widow and her children.

The court convicted the lime juice vendor Taufik Khan, 38, while acquitted his accomplice Abdul Rajak Khan, 31, who allegedly instigated him to kill Ramu Dhotre, 38, in February 2016. The case was registered on the complaint of Ramu’s brother, Yellapa.

Yellapa is the owner of a dumper, which the two brothers used to operate and would park outside their house in Gilbert Hill Road. Ramu, along with his wife and children, was residing with Yellapa. Taufik used to put his stall for lime juice near the parking area. It is alleged that two months before the incident, Taufik and Ramu had a scuffle over parking.

As per the case registered with the DN Nagar police station, on February 3, 2016, at around 8.30pm, Ramu and the owner of Ambaji Jewellers – Nahar Singh Khemsingh Dasana – were standing chitchatting outside the jewellery shop. Yellapa was also sitting there. Within some time, Taufik along with Abdul appeared and stabbed Ramu. The other person started shouting “Taufik beat him also” (Taufik isko bhi maar). Then a person holding a knife blew off the knife on his left cheek.

Yellapa raised the alarm and Taufik was caught on the spot with a knife and handed over to police. Ramu was rushed to hospital but declared dead on arrival. The sessions court relied on the testimonies of eyewitnesses and CCTV footage which showed Taufik assaulting Ramu.

Hence the court said, “The accused caught hold by the people gathered on the spot along with the weapon used in the offence. The prosecution evidence is sufficient to establish, Taufik murdered Ramu to take revenge for assault caused to him by deceased two months before the incident on account of parking of vehicle.” The court, however, acquitted Abdul observing that there was no evidence to prove that he instigated Taufik to kill Ramu.