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“Ek mota sa gaddi, ek accha takia, aur ek kambal vej dena jail me. Aur tum bilkul fikr mat karo. Hum sab samhal lenge,” Haldiram’s owner Prabhu Shankar Agarwal told his wife as he emerged from the courtroom today with a life term. Agarwal’s wife looked depressed but not shattered.
Justice caught up with Agarwal and his associates when Judge Tapan Sen, of the 4th Fast-Track City Civil Court at Bankshall handed down life terms for all the five convicted in the case. The other four are Arun Khandelwal, promoter and developer and Haldiram’s associate, Gopal Tiwari, Manoj Sharma and Rajiv Sonkar, the three contract killers hired by Agarwal.
Agarwal, Khandelwal and Sonkar, Tiwari and Sharma were convicted under Sections 120B, 307/34 of IPC. Tiwari was booked and convicted on additional charges under Sections 27/25 of the Arms Act. Sharma’s wife Renu fainted outside inside the court premises when she learnt her husband would be behind bars for the rest of his life.
After the sentencing today, all five convicts were whisked away in prison vans to Alipore Central Jail where they would be kept for the time being. Hundreds of curious onlookers thronged the court compound and security was beefed up before the sentence was pronounced.
The case dates back to 2005, when Agarwal tried to eliminate one Pramod Sharma, who ran a tea stall near a Haldiram's outlet in Burrabazar, Kolkata's business hub. Agarwal wanted to set up a food mall and Pramod's tea stall was standing as an eyesore. He initially tried to pay off Pramod, but when he refused to accept the money and shift, Agarwal hired killers to do the job. Pramod was shot on his left leg on February 12, 2005.
At one point of time during the trial stage, allegations flew against the delay in pursuing the case following which it was shifted to a fast-track court.
Significantly, it was the last judgment for Sen, who retires as a judge on January 31.
Hailing the life terms, Ashok Bashi, the public prosecutor, said: "It is a message to the society that money and muscle power cannot rule everything. To evict a poor tea-stall owner, an industrialist of Prabhu Agarwal's stature played a dirty game. If the administration and prosecuting agencies work responsibly and if the court is sensitive, justice will never be denied."
Meanwhile, Shahid Imam (he was the defense counsel for Aftab Ansari in the American Center attack case), who appeared for Gopal Tiwari in this case, said: "The judgment is very harsh. We will challenge it."
Tiwari, who faces 16 cases of extortion and Arms Act cases and a murder case, had contested the Assembly polls in 2001 as a Shiv Sena candidate from Jorabagan constituency. After his conviction a few days ago, Tiwari told the court: "Once I had contested as a Shiv Sena candidate. That is the reason why the state government has framed me in this case."
Agarwal told the court, "I am innocent. I have 1,000 families to run which include all my employees. I will take whatever punishment the court will decide for me."
Sharma, the tea-vendor who was untraceable earlier on Friday, was back at his stall in the evening. "God has given me justice," he said. Asked if he feared reprisals, he said, "When the almighty is on my side, I need not fear any thing."
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I say boycott Haldiram. If it's his riches and the power aquired by money that gave him the arrogance to shoot a tea stall owner, then his business should be boycotted. If he is reduced to the position of a tea stall owner himself (that's my favourite dream now) then perhaps he can build his next empire on more ethical terms. I love how Tiwari said that he was being prosecuted because he was once a shiv sena candiate. Hey, Tiwari - it's because you tried to kill a poor man, do you still not get that you cannot get away killing the poor? I think his sentence should be doubled so that he finally gets the message that murder (of the rich and the poor) is Wrong.
Dear Sir, I beg to differ from you. Why do you think only the rich are punished ? It may be because you don't get to know the poor being punished. Let me put it this way, it is the Rich and Selfish ( famous or not ) and thier supporters who are the hardcore criminals in India today. Think over, please.
It is Mr Prabushankar Agarwal s/o Rameshwar who is doing business in Kolkatta is culprit not entire haldiram. Media may not be aware that Haldiram's Delhi and Nagpur family who are son of Late sh Mool Chand have dedicated a 70 beded Cardiac Hospital which was inaugrated bydr Sh Ashol Gehlot in the presence of Mr Deka Director AIIMS, Dr Naresh Trehan for the public of Bikaner which no one has done so far after Maharaja Ganga Singh. Media should bring positive of the family as well and ofcourse should report negative as they have done in the case of Mr Prabhushankar AGarwal
This tea vendor did not even die and you give guilty verdict of that too life imprisonment.....ha.... just because the person was rich and famous......is this really justice? This judge was retiring and now seeing the indian news media he needed publicity......this case will surely be thrown out in high court.....if Haldiram had really used muscle power this tea vendor would not have survived....and i know how crap our judicial system and administration is. Is it not that Bengal had always anti rich or what you u call anti burgoise mentality......this seems perfect example of it......and bengal will not progress if it has the same mentality....(Eg , Tata Nano).
vinay i am surprised you wrote what you wrote. what crap man! i am shocked for the first time a big guy like this haldiram owner has been punished like this. its a good thing man! a small tea-stall owner getting justice over someone as powerful as this man - is this truly happening or did somebody in police or other law enforcement agencies really put his foot down either due to strong morals or just cuz he had something really bad against this guy ... my cynicism leads me to think that it must be the later but still it is a really good example and i am shocked but i can' help feeling happily shocked. though i am sure he'll still get out early by challenging in higher courts... i love haldriam stuff though ... junk it may be but man it tastes good!
Well I accept completely that agarwal had tried to kill an innocent tea-stall owner, it is really unfortunate that the court ruling had been really disproportionate for the accused here.His Guilt is Punishable, but that verdict appears to be too far flung and insane.If this is justice, then what about those who are politically aligned and really criminally motivated, what about them??? Why India is REALLY INTERESTED IN PUNISHING ONLY THE RICH AND FAMOUS, WHEN THERE ARE MANY HARD CORE CRIMINALS ROAMING AROUND - FREELY - AND COMMITTING CRIMES WHICH ARE REALLY UNFORGIVABLE IN ANY WAY???? WHY ARE THEY NOT SLAUGHTERED THEN????
Make it sure that these criminals do not get bail from higher court.
Guys.. Please pass the message and boycott all Haldiram products.
Punisment of Prabhu Agarwal gives credence to the fact arm of law is long enough and strong enough to bring to book the accused, however equipped with man-and-muscle power he may be, if allowed to operate freely and fairly.It's a glaring example of dispensation of natural justice.
he conspired to kill not only the tea vendor but whole population by selling junk food.he shd be handed more severe punishment like making him eat sackfuls of his own bhujia (with added MSG) and some more if he survives that
those, who want to fall down haldiram,would be known that the offence of mr.agarwal had not come from shop. this type of offences are coming from political greedy leader, who have made the criminals like tiwary etc. but somebody don't know that sweets is always sweet. thanks