In a long-standing case of murder arising from a land dispute 24 years ago, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has refused any relief to the convicts, maintaining their life imprisonment sentence. The court dismissed the appeal against the sentence and increased the fine from a nominal Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 50,000.
In 2000, Gurmail Singh was murdered due to an old feud related to a land dispute. His blood-soaked body was discovered following the brutal crime. The Patiala Trial Court had originally found seven individuals, including Daljinder, guilty, sentencing them to life imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs. 1,000 on each.
The convicts had filed an appeal in 2003, contesting their life sentences. Additionally, the state had filed an appeal seeking the death penalty for the accused. The High Court noted that the convicts had confessed to their crime, and the weapons used in the murder were recovered based on their information.
The defense’s lawyers failed to provide any effective cross-examination or challenge the investigation at any point. The High Court pointed out that the prosecution had clearly proven the charges against the accused, based on forensic reports and other documents, leading to the confirmation of their guilt and the life sentences.
