Dhanbad: A local court on Friday awarded life sentence to a 54-year-old man in connection with a 17-year-old double murder case in which the mother and aunt of jailed Wasseypur don Fahim Khan were the victims.

Shahid Alam is the elder brother of Naya Bazaar gangster Shabir Alam, an arch-rival of Fahim.

The court of additional district and sessions judge-VII Satya Prakash had held Shahid guilty in the case on March 21. Along with the quantum of punishment pronounced, the judge also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the convict. Shahid who was present in court said he would appeal in high court.

Nazma Khatoon and Shahnaz Khatoon, mother and aunt of Fahim, were killed on October 18, 2001, near Diamond Crossing in Dhanbad while they were returning home to Wasseypur after purchasing vegetables from a market.

Altogether seven persons, including Shahid and Shabir, were named accused. The brothers, along with their henchmen Babu Alam, Asgar Agarbatiwala, Pappu Agarbatiwala, Mohammed Ladle and Minhaz Alam, had accosted the two women and fired from pistols and rifles.

Sher Khan, the elder brother of Fahim, was incidentally present at a paan shop nearby along with his brother-in-law Imdad. He found his mother in a puddle of blood and spotted Shabir-Shahid fleeing in a car. A case was registered at Bank More police station on Sher Khan's complaint.

Shabir, who was earlier awarded life sentence in connection with the case, fled during the course of hearing in high court four years ago. Two more accused are absconding.

Killer dad

Bokaro: One Ashok Ghasi (48) of Bokaro Thermal and his distant relative Bandu Nayak (66) were arrested on Friday for stabbing Ashok's daughter Kalpana (22) to death on March 20 because she had opposed to a match her family had fixed for her.