Orissa HC Upholds Lifer Conviction Of Former MLA Of Gunupur

The Orissa HC upheld the conviction verdict, which in 2023 found MLA of Gunupur Ram Murti Gomango guilty of murdering his wife in August 2019.

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday upheld the conviction verdict passed by the Special Judge (For MPs and MLAs) Court, which in 2023 found the two-time MLA of Gunupur Ram Murti Gomango guilty of murdering his wife Sashirekha Gomango in August 2019 at his official quarters in Bhubaneswar.

The Bhubaneswar-based Special Judge Court had convicted the senior political leader under section 302 (murder) and section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of IPC and sentenced him to undergo life imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 10,000. A charred body of Sashirekha was recovered from the bathroom of the MLA’s official residence and the MLA had claimed that his wife had died by suicide.

"The conviction stands firmly substantiated," said a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Justices S K Sahoo and Chittaranjan Dash observing that the prosecution (Odisha Police) has established, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the convict intentionally caused death to his wife, who was reportedly pregnant at that time.

The forensic findings, including ante mortem injuries on the head of the deceased and Ram Murti’s implausible claims that his wife died by suicide, all negate any hypothesis other than the intentional homicide, the Bench said adding that the conviction order of the trial court on both counts of Section 302 and 201 of the IPC, is therefore confirmed.

"The impugned judgment of the trial court being consistent and akin to the evidence, both in fact and law cannot be faulted with and in our humble opinion, the same meets the requirement of law with regard to the circumstantial evidence is accordingly confirmed. Since the sentence awarded is absolutely in accordance with law, there is nothing to interfere with," the Bench said adding that the appeal of the former MLA stands dismissed.

The High Court further said that since the political leader is now on bail, he is directed to surrender forthwith before the trial court to undergo the sentence and deposit the fine amount.

"In case the convict fails to surrender, the trial court shall proceed in accordance with law," the High Court ordered.

Ram Murti Gomango had first won the Gunupur (ST) Assembly seat in Raygada district in 1990 on the then Janata Dal ticket. When Janata Dal merged with Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Ram Murti joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As a BJP candidate, Ram Murti won the Gunupur seat again in the 2000 elections by a huge margin. He had unsuccessfully contested the 2004, 2009 and 2014 elections.