Jaunpur (UP), Aug 26 A court here has sentenced four brothers, including MP Babu Singh Kushwaha's aide Manoj Maurya, to life imprisonment and imposed fines in a 22-year-old murder case, officials said on Wednesday.
However, Maurya had not entered politics when the murder took place in 2004. His association with Kushwaha began only shortly before the MP's first term in Parliament, they said.
The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Anil Yadav convicted the four accused and ordered that they be taken into judicial custody, prosecution lawyers said.
The case dates back to August 16, 2004, when Ashish Maurya was shot dead in broad daylight near Collectorate Tiraha in the Miyapur locality, allegedly over a land dispute.
An FIR was registered at the Line Bazar police station against seven people under various serious sections, including murder.
According to the prosecution, Ram Sewak Maurya, Ashwani Maurya, Pawan Maurya and Manoj Maurya were among the seven people named in the case.
Of the three other accused, one died during the proceedings, while the other two were acquitted by the court.
During the prolonged trial, the court recorded statements of witnesses and examined the evidence presented before it. After completion of the hearing, the court found the four accused guilty of murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment along with fines.
Assistant Government Counsel Sanjay Srivastava and Vijay Nath Singh represented the prosecution during the proceedings.
