Nearly nine years after the murder of former Jurathada Sarpanch Sardar Rao, the SC-ST Court in Rajasthan’s Sikar has delivered its verdict. Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and one more accused were acquitted, while three individuals were sentenced to life imprisonment and six others to 10 years each. The court found the accused guilty on January 13.
Lawrence appeared via video conference during the proceedings, while the other accused were brought to court under heavy security before the final judgment was given. Advocate Raghunath Ram Sula confirmed that Lawrence Bishnoi and Yatendra Pal were acquitted, while Harendra, Arun, and Hardev Ram received life imprisonment sentences. Additionally, six others were handed 10-year prison terms. Subhash Baral, who is still at large, did not receive a verdict.
The police had arrested Hardeva Ram, who allegedly masterminded the murder, along with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and several other individuals. One of the shooters, Ankit Bhadu, was killed in an encounter in Mohali, Punjab. Investigations are ongoing against five accused individuals under Section 173(8) CrPC for their alleged roles in facilitating the crime.
Sardar Rao, who served as the Sarpanch of Jurathada from 2010 to 2014, was targeted following a by-election in September 2017. Hardeva Ram, fearing defeat, reportedly hired criminal Subhash Mund (Baral) to eliminate Rao. The police investigation revealed that Baral sought assistance from gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, leading to the fatal shooting of Sardar Rao on August 23, 2017.
