A court in Bihar’s Vaishali district on Tuesday sentenced five members of a family, including an 84-year-old man, to rigorous imprisonment in a 34-year-old attempt to murder case. District and Additional Sessions Judge-I Manoj Kumar Tiwari awarded 10 years of imprisonment each to four convicts, while octogenarian Deepa Rai was sentenced to three years in prison. However, Rai was granted provisional bail due to his advanced age.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on each of the five convicts — Deepa Rai, Jagdish Rai, Naresh Rai, Nagdev Rai, and Nakeshwar Rai.
Case Stems From 1992 Village Attack
The case relates to an incident that occurred on November 10, 1992, in Jurawanpur village of Vaishali district. According to the prosecution, Adalat Rai and his wife Ramsakhi Devi were sitting outside their house when the accused family members allegedly arrived armed and created a disturbance by scattering broken glass on a pathway. When the couple objected, they were assaulted and later shot at, causing injuries.
“The convictions were made under provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 148 and 307, as well as Section 27 of the Arms Act. The court granted provisional bail to the elderly convict Deepa Rai,” Additional Public Prosecutor Khwaja Hasan Khan said.
Police had submitted the chargesheet in March 1993, and charges were framed in June 1999. The trial continued for decades, during which four of the accused died before the final verdict.
The court finally delivered its judgment after 34 years of legal proceedings, bringing closure to one of the long-pending criminal cases in the district.
(With Inputs from PTI)