Bahraich violence convict Sarfraz sentenced to death by court

Bahraich: In Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district, communal violence broke out during the 'Durga Pratima Visarjan' procession on October 13, 2024. The court of Additional Sessions Judge Poon Kumar Sharma sentenced the culprits on November 11 in the murder case of 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra. The Bahraich court has sentenced Ram Gopal's murderer, Sarfaraz, to death. While the other 9 culprits have been sentenced to life imprisonment. It is clear that the court had found 10 out of 13 accused guilty on December 9, while 3 were acquitted due to lack of evidence. The accused found guilty include Abdul Hamid, his son Faheem, Sarfaraz, Taleb, Saif, Javed, Zeeshan, Nankau, Shoaib, and Maqsood. Among them, Sarfaraz has been sentenced to death. Government counsel Parmod Singh said that the trial was completed in just 13 months and 26 days, which is an example of swift justice.

It is clear that the incident occurred in Maharajganj of Mahsi police station area, where a dispute started over a DJ playing songs. Stone pelting and firing took place, and Ram Gopal Mishra was shot and killed. The police filed a charge sheet in court on January 11, 2025, and the charges against the culprits were framed on February 18. After the testimony of 12 witnesses, the verdict was reserved on November 21. The accused have been charged under Section 103(2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (murder in mob lynching), which carries a punishment of death or life imprisonment. Other sections include 191(2), 191(3), 190, 109(2), 249, 61(2), and Section 30 of the Arms Act, which can carry a punishment of 2 to 5 years or death.

Notably, on December 9, when the court acquitted three accused, Khurshid, Shakeel, and Afzal, Ram Gopal Mishra's wife said, "My husband's killers should be hanged, only then will we get justice. The three acquitted are also culprits and should be punished." The family had demanded death penalty for all the culprits. The NSA was also invoked in the case. The administration has deployed heavy forces in the area to maintain communal harmony. It is clear that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had already assured of strict action.