Bhubaneswar, Sept. 22: A local court in Bhubaneswar today sentenced a criminal to life in a murder case that took place in 2006.

Fast track court II judge A.P. Sahu held the accused, Bhismadev Rout, guilty of killing his friend, Ajay Behera.

The judge also sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment of three years and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 under section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code. In the event of failing to pay the penalty he will have to undergo another six months of rigorous imprisonment.

Rout had killed Behera on March 22, 2006, when they went out together to purchase a car for the latter. Behera’s body was discovered by Chandaka police in an elephant trap trench at Bahada Chhak near Chandaka forest on March 26 that year.

Additional public prosecutor Pradeep Kumar Dash said Rout had called Behera on March 22 several times before they left to buy the car. He added that Rout was in need of money when he came to know about Behera’s plan to buy a car. Behera had left home with Rs 1.60 lakh and some gold ornaments to buy the car, but was murdered by Rout.