Telangana: High Court finds three people guilty in the murder case of five relatives

HYDERABAD : A division bench, comprising justices K Lakshman and Sreedevi, of the Telangana High Court on Thursday found three persons guilty of the murder of five persons in Amberpet and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

According to the order, the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions judge in Hyderabad acquitted the trio in February 2012. However, the state government appealed the ruling. The primary convict, Syed Jahangir, along with his eight accomplices hatched a plan to kill Jehangir’s wife, along with her parents and two brothers.

After their wedding in 2008, Jehangir and his wife started quarrelling over multiple issues. This escalated to the filing of many cases, including for dowry prohibition and maintenance.

While attending the trial, Jehangir’s mother died in a road accident after his father’s demise due to depression. After this, Jehangir, armed with deadly weapons, descended upon the residence of the victims at dawn and murdered them.

Despite initial acquittal due to the purported lack of evidence, the high court’s exhaustive 82-page verdict dissected the case, concluding that there was compelling evidence linking the Jehangir to the crime under Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

While the defence underscored the need for impartial adjudication and the absence of a dying declaration, the bench highlighted procedural adherence, particularly regarding the mental state of the declarant.