A special CBI court in Ranchi has handed down life imprisonment to three individuals for the murder of teenager Rupesh Pandey in 2022. The convicts, Mohammad Aslam Ansari alias Pappu Mian, Mohammad Gufran, and Mohammad Kaif, were each fined Rs 10,000 along with the rigorous life sentence. Failure to pay the fine will result in additional punishment.
Following the sentencing, the three convicts were taken into judicial custody and placed in jail. The court’s decision came after finding the trio guilty based on final arguments presented by both the prosecution and the defense on February 2. Two other accused, Mohammad Irfan and Istakhar Mian, were acquitted due to insufficient evidence of their involvement.
The incident took place in the Barhi police station area of Hazaribagh district on the evening of February 6, 2022, during the Saraswati Puja immersion procession. Rupesh Pandey, aged 17, was allegedly surrounded and brutally assaulted by a mob led by Ansari near the immersion site, resulting in his tragic death.
The murder of Rupesh Pandey led to widespread public outrage and communal tension in various parts of Jharkhand, with protests and disturbances reported across the state. Initially, 27 individuals were named as accused in the FIR, but the investigation led to charges being filed against only five individuals.
In pursuit of justice, Pandey’s mother raised concerns about the investigation’s fairness, prompting the Jharkhand High Court to order a CBI probe. Subsequently, the CBI took over the case, conducted a fresh investigation, and the trial was conducted in a designated special CBI court in Ranchi. Special Public Prosecutor Priyanshu Singh represented the prosecution during the trial.
