Nalgonda: The Second Additional District Sessions Court in Telangana's Nalgonda, which hears special SC and ST cases, on Tuesday sentenced 17 accused to life imprisonment in the case of a Scheduled Caste man who was brutally beaten to death in 2017.
This is the first time in the history of this court that so many people have been sentenced to life imprisonment at once.
Judge Roja Ramani sentenced the convicts Pandit Ramaswamy, Pandit Sailu, Pandit Ramulu, Pandit Mallesh, Bandagorla Valraj, Pandit Yadayya, Jakkula Ramesh, Pandit Srikanth, Pandit Satish, Pandit Narsayya, Pandit Satyanarayana, Bandagorla Nagamma, Pandit Srinu, Pandit Mallayya, Pandit Lingayya, Jakkula Lachchayya, and Polaboyna Lingayya, all of whom belonged to the same village, to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 6,000 each, on the charge of brutally murdering Batta Lingayya of Ajimpet.
According to the prosecution, Batta Lingayya is an accused in the murder case of Pandit Rajamallu of Ajimpet. Lingaiah was returning home after attending the Jammi Puja held outside his village in Ajimpet on the evening of September 30, 2017, on the occasion of Dussehra. According to the prosecution, Ramaswamy, son of Pandit Rajamallu, along with other accused, at the instigation of the then Sarpanch Poleboy Lingaiah, insulted Battu Lingaiah in the name of caste and beat him to death with stones and sticks. The Addagudur police, which registered a case in this regard, filed charges against 18 people.
While one of the accused, Jakkula Bhikshamayya, died, the court convicted the remaining 17 people after the charges were proven.
The judge said that the sentences Life imprisonment and a fine of Rs.1,000 for the crime of murder, life imprisonment and a fine of Rs.1,000 for the crime of murder of an SC, life imprisonment and a fine of Rs.1,000 for conspiracy to commit murder, six months imprisonment and a fine of Rs.1,000 each for conspiracy to commit murder, six months imprisonment and a fine of Rs.1,000 each for creating riots, six months imprisonment and a fine of Rs.1,000 each for insulting caste, should be executed simultaneously. Each convict should pay a fine of Rs.6,000 each, the court said.
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