15 Sent To Life In Prison, Fined In 24-Year-Old Triple-Murder Case In UP's Fatehpur

A court has sentenced 15 people to life imprisonment in a triple-murder case in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur district.

District Government Counsel Sukhdev Gupta on Tuesday said, "Additional District and Sessions Judge Ajay Kumar sentenced 15 accused to life imprisonment on Monday and also slapped a fine of Rs 15,000 on each of them in a triple-murder case that was reported 24 years ago."

The incident took place on August 6, 1996 near a private bus stand in the Khaga area of the district, when a group of people demanded Rs 20 as "goonda tax" per unit operation of private buses and another group said they will levy the tax and started firing, which led to the death of Sunil Singh, Ramniranjan Singh and Rakesh Singh," Mr Gupta said.

On the basis of complaints from the members of the first group, murder and attempt to murder cases were lodged against 18 people, while the other group got an attempt to murder case registered against eight people, the government lawyer said.

The court acquitted eight accused for lack of evidence. Fifteen members of the second group were held guilty by the court, Mr Gupta said.

Of the fifteen accuses of the second group, two died during the course of the hearing, while one was acquitted, he added.