INDIA: BIHAR MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING NINE PEOPLE IN WARANGAL
October 28, 2020: A local court in Warangal on 28 October 2020 awarded death penalty to a migrant worker after holding him guilty of killing nine persons and dumping them in a well near a gunny bags manufacturing unit in Gorrekunta village on 21 May. The court completed the trial in the sensational murder case within 36 days. Sanjay Kumar Yadav, who hails from Bihar and worked at the mill, had mixed sleeping pills in the food consumed by six members of the same family, a driver, and two persons living at the manufacturing unit, and strangled them after they fell asleep. In its chargesheet, Warangal Police stated that Sanjay had on 6 March murdered his lover who was a relative of Mohammed Maqsood who was living with his family in a room in the mill’s godown. To cover up that murder, Sanjay murdered the six family members, including a three-year-old boy. He also murdered the driver and two youths working in the unit as they were present there. Subsequently, he dumped all the bodies in an abandoned well in the compound of the gunny bags unit. Based on CCTV footage and call data records, the police zeroed in on Sanjay and arrested him on 25 May. According to the chargesheet, Sanjay had become friends with Maqsood and his family and also developed a relationship with Rafiqa, sister of Maqsood’s wife, and when she started pestering him for marriage, Sanjay conspired to eliminate her. On 6 March, while on a train, Sanjay laced buttermilk with sleeping pills and gave to Rafiqa who became unconscious. He then throttled her with her scarf and dumped the body near Nidavolu in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. After returning to Warangal, when Maqsood and his family asked about Rafiqa, he said that she stayed back with her family in West Bengal. However, as there was no news of her, Maqsood and his family threatened to inform the police. Sanjay then started planning to kill all of the family members, as per the chargesheet. (Sources: Indian Express, 28/10/2020)
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