Court convicts 4 men of Delhi Police official's 2012 murder

According to the prosecution, Ashish Bahuguna, Suraj, Manoj and Aakash fatally stabbed Constable Bijender besides causing stab injuries to two other people and also assaulting Head Constable (HC) Baljeet back in September 2012.

New Delhi: A court here has convicted four men of the charge of stabbing to death a Delhi Police official in front of a brothel in Central Delhi’s G B Road in 2012, saying the prosecution had successfully proved its case against them.

Additional Sessions Judge Virender Kumar Kharta was hearing a case against the four accused against whom the Kamla Market police station had registered a case under several Indian Penal Code (IPC) provisions, including murder, attempt to murder and voluntary causing grievous hurt to a public servant.

According to the prosecution, Ashish Bahuguna, Suraj, Manoj and Aakash fatally stabbed Constable Bijender besides causing stab injuries to two people, Irshad and Constable Sandeep, and assaulting Head Constable (HC) Baljeet on the intervening night of September 10 and 11, 2012.

"This court is of the considered opinion that injured Constable Sandeep, injured Irshad and complainant HC Baljeet are witnesses of sterling quality as their versions are natural and they have withstood the test of cross-examination," the judge said in a verdict dated March 2.

It said their testimonies were 'cogent, credible, trustworthy and consistent,' besides being corroborated by the other prosecution witnesses, medical evidence and the circumstances.

"Accused persons are hereby convicted for the offences under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder),186 (voluntarily obstructing public servant in discharge of his functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant) and 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from duty) of the IPC," the court said.

The court will hear the arguments on sentencing at a later date.

It said accused Suraj Kumar was also convicted under the Arms Act for possessing the weapon of offence, a button-actuated knife.

"The prosecution has successfully proved that all the four accused persons shared common intention in the commission of all the offences," the court said adding, "the prosecution has proved its case against the accused persons."

During the proceedings, the Additional Public Prosecutor Pankaj Kumar Ranga said since the prosecution has proved its case against all the accused persons beyond a reasonable doubt, they should be convicted of the charges.