Jamshedpur: Murder for ransom accused gets lifer

Jamshedpur, November 3: The court on Friday sentenced Vishwajit Pradhan, accused in the murder of money-lending businessman Dharmendra Singh, resident of Kashidih Line No. 5, House No. 155, Sakchi police station area, after kidnapping for ransom to life imprisonment.

Besides, a fine of Rs 40,000 has also been imposed on him.

This case is being heard by the court of ADJ-Forest Rajendra Kumar Sinha. Seven people have testified in the case. The court has imposed life imprisonment on Vishwajit Pradhan under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and a fine of Rs 25,000. In case of non-payment of the fine, he was given an additional two years’ imprisonment. Under Section 387 (extortion), he has been sentenced to 7 years and Rs 10,000 and under Section 201 (concealing evidence), he has been sentenced to 3 years and a fine of Rs 5,000. The court has said in its decision that all the sentences will run concurrently.

The incident took place on 10 February 2022 at 11.30 am. On the day of the incident, deceased Dharmendra Singh had left the house telling his wife that he was going to collect interest money from people and he would return home in two to three hours. Dharmendra Singh had left home for Rahargora to collect money. When he did not return home till 2.30 pm, his son Gaurav Kumar Singh contacted his father’s mobile but the mobile could not be connected.

 At around 3 o’clock, a WhatsApp message came on his mobile from his father’s mobile in which it was told that Rs 50 lakh would have to be paid for his father’s release.

 Dharmendra will be killed if this information is shared.

Then Gaurav suspected that his father had been kidnapped by someone for ransom. In this regard, on the statement of Gaurav Kumar Singh, an FIR was lodged in Sakchi police station against unknown person for kidnapping Dharmendra Singh for ransom.

Kadma and Sakchi police had recovered the body of Dharmendra Singh from inside a blue bag in the trunk of car number JH 10P – 5533, parked in front of Kadma Rankani Temple, DBMS School.

Meanwhile, the police had also recovered both the mobile phones of Dharmendra from the pet packet of arrested Vishwajeet. Whereas the scooter of the deceased was seized in unclaimed condition between quarter number 15 and 17, Kadani Road, Baridih, near the house of the accused.