PUNE, February 20: Narayan Chetnaram alias Lukha Chaudhari and Jitendra Singh alias Jitu Nain Singh Gehlot, both accused in the infamous Rathi family murder case, were today pronounced guilty of murder and conspiracy by Additional Sessions Judge M N Patale.However, the orders pertaining to the punishment for the accused could not be passed as the judge adjourned the court till tomorrow morning, acting on a plea by Special Public Prosecutor Ujwal Nikam.
The operative orders about the punishment will be issued tomorrow after Nikam, Narayan Chaudhari's defence counsel Inderjit Singh Gill and Jitendra Gehlot's lawyer B L Shelar present their argument about the aggravating and mitigating circumstances as well as the point of punishment. Before pleading before the court for adjournment, Nikam indicated that he would be asking for the extreme penalty -- the capital sentence -- in view of the enormity and the magnitude of the crime.
The judge said the prosecution had presented adequate evidence to establishthat Chaudhari, Gehlot and the approver Raj Singh alias Raju Ramlal Rajpurohit had committed a crime as per the provisions made under section 120 (B) of IPC. Nikam asked for adjournment immediately after the judge asked him to present his argument on the nature of punishment to be given to the accused.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
