Mohali: Nearly four years after an auto-rickshaw driver was fatally stabbed in Balongi, a Mohali court has convicted a man and sentenced him to life imprisonment, with forensic DNA evidence emerging as the decisive factor in the case.Additional district and sessions judge Vikrant Kumar on Wednesday sentenced Ravi Sharma to life imprisonment for the murder of Lal Ratan, holding that scientific evidence and the recovery of the murder weapon formed an unbroken chain linking him to the crime. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000, with an additional six months’ imprisonment in default of payment.Significantly, the conviction came despite key eyewitnesses turning hostile during the trial. The court ruled that the prosecution’s case remained intact because of strong forensic evidence, particularly the DNA analysis conducted by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).Deputy district attorney Hardeep Singh said the breakthrough evidence was the DNA match between blood found on a knife recovered at Ravi Sharma’s instance and samples collected from the crime scene.“The court observed that Ravi Sharma failed to provide any plausible explanation for the victim’s blood being found on the weapon recovered at his instance. This forensic evidence constituted a complete and reliable chain connecting him to the murder,” he said.The case dates back to the night of Jan 24, 2022, when Lal Ratan was sitting with Anil Kumar and Sonu near the old toll barrier in Balongi. According to the prosecution, five youths arrived on two motorcycles and enquired about a person named Bhardwaj. When Lal Ratan said he did not know anyone by that name, a confrontation followed, during which one of the assailants allegedly stabbed him in the abdomen. Anil Kumar and Sonu were also injured. Lal Ratan later died during treatment.Investigators initially examined another angle and questioned Anil Kumar before ruling out his involvement. The probe later focused on Ravi Sharma, Jaspreet Singh alias Valley, Satnam Singh alias Bobby, Ompreet Singh and Monu, based on CCTV footage and other evidence. During the investigation, police recovered a blood-stained knife allegedly at the instance of Ravi Sharma.While the court found the forensic evidence sufficient to convict Sharma, it gave the benefit of doubt to co-accused Jaspreet Singh and Satnam Singh.The judge noted that the prosecution had failed to prove any conspiracy or common intention on their part. No human blood was detected on the clothes recovered from them, and there was insufficient evidence to establish their direct role either in Lal Ratan’s murder or in the assault on the two injured witnesses.With the prosecution unable to establish their involvement beyond reasonable doubt, both accused were acquitted of all charges.Following the verdict, the court directed the acquitted men to furnish bail and surety bonds under Section 437A of the CrPC, while Ravi Sharma was taken into custody to serve his life sentence.BOXCourt rejects convict’s plea for leniencyThe court rejected Ravi Sharma’s plea for a lenient sentence after he pleaded that he was the sole breadwinner of his family. Seeking mercy, the convict submitted that he belonged to a poor family, had lost his father and one brother, while his ailing mother was dependent on him. He also told the court that his wife was a homemaker and they had a young daughter to support.However, the court held that the circumstances did not warrant any reduction in sentence. While observing that the case did not fall within the “rarest of rare” category warranting capital punishment, the court sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for life for the offence of murder.
