Nagpur: Holding that no leniency should be shown in cases of kidnap, demand for ransom and murder, the Principal District and Sessions Court Judge Kishore Sonavane on Thursday awarded death sentence as well as life imprisonment to two convicts Rajseh Daware and Arvind Singh who had kidnapped 8year-old Yug Chandak and killed him in a revenge act. The court, on Saturday (January 30) had found the two accused guilty of diabolic killing.
“Your crime has created atmosphere of terror in society:” Judge K K Sonavane
The Principal District and Sessions Judge K K Sonavane, while pronouncing the judgment, said to the convicts “You have committed a grave crime. For the greed of money, you have kidnapped an innocent kid and murdered him in cold blood, deliberately. Your act created fearful atmosphere in the society. Everybody is worried and concerned over his or her child. You have perpetrated the crime with criminal conspiracy despite your young age. The court will not only have to examine what is just but also what the accused deserves keeping in view the impact on society at large. Every punishment imposed is bound to have its effect not only on the accused alone but also on society as a whole. Thus the court has considered retributive and deterrent aspect of punishment while imposing the extreme punishment of death,” said the Principal Judge said.
Court verdict is victory for Nagpur: Dr Mukesh Chandak
Commenting on the historic verdict of the court, Dr Mukesh Chandak, father of Yug, said, “The verdict is victory for Nagpur, victory for those innocents who have been victims of such crimes. The verdict will certainly prove as deterrent for those elements who might plan to perpetrate such crimes in future. The ruling will certainly inflict fear among criminals. The court has respected the sentiments of the citizens. The verdict coming within a year has boosted the faith in judiciary. Happiness would have been at higher side had the judgment come within three months of the trial,” remarked Dr Chandak who reportedly fainted after the verdict was pronounced.
My sentiments are with the court verdict: APP Jyoti Wajani
The Additional Public Prosecutor Jyoti Wajani who represented the State expressed her total satisfaction over the verdict. “When I took up the case I had a desire that the perpetrators of the crime should be handed down the strictest punishment in the law. An innocent boy was done to death for money and in a revengeful act with a criminal conspiracy. I welcome the verdict. The Judge has made it clear in his verdict that death sentence was aimed at safety and security of the society. The court has rejected the pleas of young age of the convicts and their possible reforms while delivering the judgment. This is a historic verdict that will prove as deterrent to the criminals and create fear in their minds,” said the APP.
Apt investigation strengthened the case: Satyanarayan Jaiswal, Investigating Officer
The Investigating Officer in the case, Satyanarayan Jaiswal said that a perfect coordination between the investigating team and prosecution team strengthened the case from the word go. Trapping of the accused and their arrest was meticulously planned. The job of gathering evidence was done scientifically and with all forensic angles. These evidences played the vital role in convicting the two accused. The initial 290-page probe report turned out to be a 500-page report. The court too accepted all the evidences in the case produced by the prosecution. Notably, all the 50 witnesses produced by the police maintained their testimonies till the end and no one turned hostile. This fact boosted the case greatly, said the prosecution.
Yug Chandak case is an extraordinary case for the court: Adv Rajendra Daga, who represented Chandak family
Adv Rajendra Daga, who represented the Chandak family, said that the verdict is satisfactory for himself and his clients. The verdict will show its effect in future as well. The Judge delivered the judgment with all seriousness. This is an extraordinary case. It is the first time in history that two death sentences have been awarded to the convicts. After an amendment in 2011, there is now provision of death sentence under Section 364(A). Under this Section, death sentence was also awarded.
The verdict has provided justice to Yug: Prashant Katariya, father of Kush
Prashant Katariya, who has lost his son Kush in a similar case of kidnapping and murder, was connected with the Yug Chandak case from the beginning, both emotionally and personally. Today also, Prashant Katariya was with Dr Mukesh Chandak giving him the much needed support. According to Prashant Katariya, the verdict will safeguard thousands of Yugs and Kushs. This is a very good judgment and it was needed also. This will make the difference. It is a better verdict than Kush case, stated Prashant Katariya.
It was the second such diabolic killing in the city in three years after another 8-year-old boy Kush Katariya was similarly killed by Ayush Pugalia on October 11, 2011, for extracting Rs 2 crore ransom from his parents. Fittingly, he was awarded a rare double lifer by the court, which was enhanced to triple lifer by the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court.
Chronology of the macabre incident:
• The 8-year old bubbling kid Yug Chandak was kidnapped from near his resident on September 1, 2014, by the two satanic elements for ransom of Rs 10 crore as well as revenge act to settle score. The kid was brutally killed on the same day by the two kidnappers.
• Rajesh Daware and Arvind Singh were rounded up on September 2 late night and both reportedly confessed to kidnapping and murder of Yug.
• The last rutes of Yug were performed on September 3.
• Chargesheet was filed on November 28, 2014.
• Dr Mukesh Chandak testified on the very first day of the trial.
• The trial in the kidnapping and murder case got off to a start on January 8, 2015.
• The prosecution recorded the unflinching evidence by presenting 50 witnesses while defence recorded seven witnesses.
• The perpetrators of the gory crime were slapped with Section 120(B) (Criminal conspiracy to murder), Section 302 (Murder) and Section 364(A) (Kidnapping for ransom).
• The boy was kidnapped in front of the watchman of Chandak’s Guruvandana Apartment Arun Meshram. Yug was taken away on a two-wheeler by the kidnappers. Meshram stood as police witness in the court.
• A CCTV camera footage at a petrol pump showed two masked youths taking away a boy. This footage proved vital evidence in the case.
• Rupali Kansare, the maternal aunt of Rajesh Daware, had seen Rajesh brought Yug to his house. Despite relative of the accused, Rupali gave her testimony as police witness.
• A girl school student saw Yug with the two accused at the spot where the boy was later killed. Similarly, a cattle grazer also saw the two accused there. Both maintained their testimony in the court.
• The two accused were found guilty by the court on January 30. Quantum of punished was to be decided on February 3.
• On February 3, during the hearing, prosecution demanded death sentence for the two convicts while defence pleaded for lesser punishment.
• On February 4, the two convicts Rajesh Dhanalal Daware and Arvind Singh awarded death sentence as well as life imprisonment.
