Ranchi, Nov. 29: The Jharkhand High Court today toned down the death sentence of dreaded criminal Anil Sharma to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of Sudhir Singh alias Bhoma Singh inside Birsa Munda Central Jail here in January 1999.

A division bench of Justice Vishnu Deo Narayan and Justice Lakshman Uraon passed the order while hearing the death sentence given to Sharma by the Ranchi district court. The district court order had been passed on March 22 this year.

On January 22, 1999, Sharma had killed Sudhir Singh inside the jail. Sharma and his henchmen, who are still in jail in connection with several extortion and murder cases, killed Singh. The criminals assaulted Singh while Sharma stabbed him with a sharp weapon.

Sudhir Singh was also a criminal and owed allegiance to Sharma’s rival gangster, Surendra Singh Rautela alias Bengali. The motive behind the murder was that one of Bengali’s goons tried to kill a member of Sharma’s gang during a visit to the jail gate. In a fit of rage, Sharma and his men killed Sudhir Singh inside the jail the next day.

An inquiry was ordered into the murder as it had taken place inside the jail. The victim’s clothes were sent to the forensic laboratory for examination. The lab reports said the blood stains on the victim’s clothes belonged to an animal.

Hari Ram Singh alias Manoj Singh, an informant in the case, was also inside the jail. He witnessed the murder. A named FIR was lodged against Anil Sharma and his accomplices.

The witnessess deposed against Sharma and his henchmen. The lower court, after examining the witnesses, took cognisance against Sharma and his men and passed a death sentence on Sharma.

Altogether 18 prosecution witnesses and 12 defence witnesses deposed before the probe team.

The life imprisonment judgment was reserved on September 12, 2002. The high court observed that this was one of the most rare death references.

In another development, the high court today extended the two-way traffic system on the Main Road till January 3, 2003. The court has directed the state to decide whether it wants to continue the one-way system.

A division bench passed the order while hearing a writ petition filed by K.C. Prasad and others.

Road was smooth. So the two-way system should continue if the state

government has no objection.

The high court had lifted one-way traffic system for two months. The

deadline was to end on November 30. Keeping in view of the earlier

court's order the petitioner's counsel pleaded before the court that

two-way traffic system should continue.

EoM

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