Delhi:
A city court has jailed a 22-year-old youth for 10 years for making a murderous bid on an ITBP personnel, observing that security of armed forces members inside the country is "sacrosanct" as they protect us from the enemy.
"The injured was a member of the armed force which secures the borders of the country against aggression from the outside enemy. It is very sad that instead of respecting their duty towards the nation so that we live and sleep in peace, the convict had attacked him to take his life and he (ITBP personnel) had to undergo surgical operation for saving his life," Additional Sessions Judge Gurdeep Singh said.
The court awarded the stern punishment saying, "The members of armed forces will have a very demoralising effect if such person is not punished with heavy hands as their security is more sacrosanct for us as they protect us from the enemy."
The court convicted East Delhi resident Abhimanyu alias Chhotu for attacking Vikas, an Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel posted at Leh, and causing serious injuries to him.
An east Delhi native, Vikas, had come home on leave when he was attacked on October 10, 2008 evening, when he was going to the neighbourhood market with his younger brother Monty, a Class X student.
In the market, convict Abhimanyu and his friends Deepak, 26 and Ravi, 22, attacked Monty, who earlier had an altercation with the convict in a gym near his home where he used to go regularly.
Earlier during the day too, Abhimanyu had met the two brothers in a restaurant and had an heated argument with Monty, but Vikas had pacified him.
As Abhimanyu and his two accomplices from Ghaziabad attacked Monty on his way to the market, Vikas tried to save him, but the trio charged at him as well, stabbing him in his chest and stomach.
Following the attack, the two brothers had to be rushed to the GTB hospital, where Vikas had to undergo surgery twice and had to be remain admitted there for several days.
Monty was discharged from the hospital a day later. The trio were arrested a day after they attacked the two brothers.
Noting that "the convict had attacked him (Vikas) to take his life and he had to undergo surgical operation for saving his life," the court convicted Abhimanyu on attempt to murder charges under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code.
On charges of colluding with Abhimanyu in attack on two brothers, the court jailed Ravi for a year and Deepak for four months.