mangalore today

Life term for Haryana youth, colleague’s murder in argument


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 08, 2016: The DK first additional district and sessions court judge C M Joshi on Aug 6,Saturday sentenced a 31-year-old transport company employee from Haryana, found guilty of murdering his colleague in their house at Mannagudda in October 2010, to life imprisonment.


murderThe judge also directed the convict Sandeep Soni to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 and undergo a further simple imprisonment of six months in case of failure to pay the fine amount.

The court, which had announced its verdict finding Sandeep Soni guilty of murdering his colleague Rohitash Kumar on Friday, announced the quantum of punishment on Saturday. The court also directed the Dakshina Kannada District Legal Services Authority to provide compensation to the next of kin of victim. Prosecutors Pushparaj Adhyantaya and Raju Poojary examined as 19 witnesses that included complainant Subash and his three roommates.

Sandeep Soni worked with the victim Rohitash Kumar in Indo Arya Transport Company. According to the charge-sheet filed by Barke Police, Sandeep Soni had a fight with Rohitash over preparation of food in the house on October 6, 2010. The two, along with other roommates, had dinner together in the night. While Soni, Kumar and Subash slept in one room, the other three slept in the adjoining room, the charge-sheet stated.
Sandeep Soni allegedly took a knife and stabbed Rohitash Kumar in the early hours of October 7. Even as Rohitash cried out in pain, Subash the other occupants of the house saw Sandeep Soni drop the knife on to the floor and run. In doing so, the accused locked the room in which his three other roommates were sleeping, the charge-sheet stated, adding that the inmates of the house shifted Rohitash Kumar to a private hospital for treatment.

While being taken to the hospital, Rohitash told his colleague Subash and three other roommates of the attack by Sandeep. As Rohitash did not get any relief from treatment to his injury, he was shifted from the private hospital to the Government Wenlock Hospital where he succumbed to the injuries. Then Police Inspector of Barke Police station Vinay Gaonker arrested Soni on November 7, 2010 in Shivani village of Haryana and filed the charge sheet.