HATTIAN BALA (Kashmir English): In a significant ruling, the District Criminal Court of Jhelum Valley Hattian Bala on Tuesday sentenced a convict to death and imposed a fine of Rs1 million for murder.
District and Sessions Judge Hattian Bala Chaudhry Muhammad Munir and Qazi Muhammad Qasim Khan Mujahid announced the verdict, convicting Muhammad Waris, son of Fazal Hussain, and another accused in the case for the murder of Bashir. Muhammad Banaras, also the son of Fazal Hussain, has been sentenced to ten years in prison and a fine of five hundred thousand rupees.
Advocate Chaudhry Abdul Jabbar and Advocate Anjum Feroze appeared for the accused, while Public Prosecutor Muhammad Bashir Awan appeared for the victim.
The court’s decision came after the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Both accused were found guilty, with Muhammad Banaras sentenced to an additional six months in prison for assaulting the victim.
The same convict, Banaras, is sentenced to ten years of simple imprisonment for keeping and aiding the accused under Section 302(C) APC and 34 APC, while the Waris is sentenced to death as a penalty under Section 302(b) APC.
The court also ordered the convicts to pay compensation to the heirs of the deceased, with Muhammad Waris required to pay one million rupees and Muhammad Banaras required to pay five lakh rupees.
The court further ruled that the compensation will be paid from the property of the criminals under the Code in case of non-payment. If authorities fail to recover the payment from their properties, the convicts will have to undergo another six months of imprisonment.
The convicts were also sentenced to two years of simple imprisonment each under Section 15(2) of the Arms Act. The sentences will be served concurrently in the Central Jail Muzaffarabad, the court ruled.
The court’s verdict was delivered in the presence of dozens of people, and the convicts were given the benefit of Section 382B of the Criminal Code.
The public congratulated SP Jhelum Valley and his team for the excellent investigation of the Jhelum Valley Police and the successful prosecution of the case. SP Jhelum Valley said that no criminal can escape the clutches of the law, and the police will make every effort to ensure the delivery of justice.
