Sirsa, Jul 21 A court in Haryana's Sirsa district on Tuesday sentenced two men to life imprisonment for the murder of an IELTS coaching centre operator in Ellenabad in 2021.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Devinder Singh convicted Gurvinder Singh alias Guri and Ranvir Singh and awarded them life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh each.
The court also sentenced both convicts to three years' imprisonment and imposed an additional fine of Rs 5,000 each under the Arms Act.
A third accused, Harmeet Singh, who had supplied the weapon used in the crime, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment and fined Rs 7,000.
According to the prosecution, the incident took place on December 16, 2021.
The victim, Punjab Singh, was returning to his village on a motorcycle after closing his International English Language Testing System( IELTS) coaching centre in Ellenabad when the accused intercepted him on Dhani Daya Singh Theh Road.
Police said the accused had conducted reconnaissance before the attack. Ranvir Singh allegedly opened fire at Punjab Singh, hitting him in the head, forehead and chest. He died on the spot due to excessive bleeding.
The victim's father, Ratan Singh, had alleged in his complaint that his son had been receiving threats over a dispute with his in-laws.
During the investigation, the police found that Ranvir Singh suspected his wife, Devender Kaur, of having an illicit relationship with Punjab Singh.
The police said the murder was carried out over this suspicion.
During the hearing on the quantum of sentence, the convicts sought leniency, citing their family responsibilities.
Ranvir Singh told the court that his aged parents were unwell, he was the sole earning member of the family and had two five-year-old twin daughters.
Gurvinder Singh said his elderly parents were dependent on him and also informed the court that he had recently got engaged and was scheduled to be married on October 26, 2027.
The prosecution opposed the plea for leniency.
Public prosecutor Gaurav Khurana said the court rejected the requests, observing that the victim was a young man and the offence was grave.
