Baghpat, June 8: A 27-year-old criminal intimidation case in Uttar Pradesh's Bagpat district came to an unusual end when a court sentenced an accused man to stand in the courtroom until the court adjourned for the day and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000.
Sentence after decades-long litigation
Chief Judicial Magistrate Manindrapal Singh awarded the sentence to Rajendra Singh, a resident of Sarurpur Kalan village, after he admitted guilt in a case registered in 1999.
According to court records, Dhara Singh had lodged an FIR on June 26, 1999, alleging that Rajendra and two others abused him and threatened to kill him during a dispute in the village. Police later filed a chargesheet before the court.
During the proceedings, Rajendra's case was separated from that of the other accused and continued to be heard independently. The matter remained pending for nearly 27 years, during which more than 100 hearing dates were fixed.
Final proceedings and leniency plea
The court had recently issued attachment warrants against Rajendra after he failed to appear on a scheduled hearing. On Saturday, he surrendered before the court and pleaded for leniency, citing poor health and financial hardship. He requested that the case be disposed of the same day and told the court that repeated appearances had become difficult.
Rajendra also informed the court that he had previously spent several days in jail in connection with the case. Taking note of his confession, the magistrate sentenced him to remain standing in court until the day's proceedings concluded and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000.
The court ordered that failure to pay the fine would result in 10 days' imprisonment. Rajendra deposited the amount, completed the sentence in court and was allowed to return home.
Relief after decades of legal struggle
According to court records, Rajendra had attended hearings on more than 100 occasions over the years. However, his absence from recent hearings led to the issuance of arrest warrants about six months ago, followed later by attachment warrants.
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Rajendra said the long-running case had been a source of anxiety for nearly three decades, requiring regular court visits and legal expenses. With Saturday's order, he said, the burden of the 27-year-old litigation had finally ended.
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