By Admin 
While giving its verdict on Thursday (December 11) in the case of Ram Gopal Mishra murder that took place during the Durga idol immersion yatra in Bahraich on October 13, 2024, the court sentenced the main accused Sarfaraz alias Rinku to death. The other nine accused Abdul Hameed, Faheem, Talib alias Sablu, Saif Ali, Javed Khan, Jishan alias Raja, Shoaib Khan, Nankau and Maroof Ali were given life imprisonment. All the accused were presented in the court from the district jail. The court also mentioned Manusmriti in its decision.
According to the court’s decision, the prosecution made it clear that the murder was not the result of an ordinary dispute, but was a heinous incident of extreme cruelty and well-planned. The government lawyer said that this murder is an extreme example of ‘brutality’ and ‘humanity’. He told that 7 to 8 rounds were fired on the deceased Ram Gopal Mishra, about 40 entry wounds and 2 exit wounds were found on the body. Apart from this, the toes of both the feet were given deep burns and the nails were pulled out, which further increases the brutality of the murder.
The penal system is absolutely necessary for the welfare of the people – Manusmriti
Citing Manusmriti, the court said, “Dand Shasti Prajah Sarva Dand Evabhirakshati, Dand Supteshu Jagarti, Dand Dharma Vidurvadha.” That is, the penal system is absolutely necessary for the welfare of the society and the people. It is said in Manu Smriti that people do not deviate from their religion and duty due to fear of punishment and it is a means of maintaining security and order in the society. From this point of view, giving appropriate punishment to criminals is considered necessary in the interest of justice and society.
Criminals should be given strict punishment – Government lawyer
The prosecution also said that the purpose of the murder was to establish social and religious dominance. After this incident, panic spread in the entire city. Schools were closed, internet remained down for three days and RAF and PAC had to be deployed to maintain security. It took a month for normalcy to return to the city. The government lawyer said that this incident is like an ‘attack on Maa Bharati’ and the criminals should be given harsh punishment so that a message is sent to the society that no crime against the law will be tolerated.
This murder was completely planned- Court
The defense argued that this is the first offense of the accused and they have no criminal history, hence they should be considered for lesser punishment and fine. The court carefully listened to the arguments of the prosecution and defense and reviewed its record. The court said that this murder was completely planned. The culprits dragged Ramgopal Mishra out of his house and Sarfaraz fired at him with a licensed gun. The upper body of the deceased was in such a serious condition that it was described as like a sieve. The court called it a heinous, cruel and cold-blooded murder.
The court clarified that death penalty is given only in ‘rarest of rare’ cases, in which it is necessary to balance the nature of the crime and the circumstances of the criminals. In its decision, the court cited the decisions of previous historical cases like Bachan Singh and Macchi Singh.
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