Chandigarh: The son of a retired Chandigarh police official was sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2019 murder of two sisters at a paying guest accommodation in Sector 22.The court of additional district and sessions judge, Sonika, also imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on Kuldeep, 39. The convict sought leniency on the grounds that he is the eldest son of the family, his siblings are married, and his father had passed away. He told the court that there was no one else to look after his mother in his absence. Claiming that he had no previous criminal antecedents and that his future was at stake, the convict urged the court to take a lenient view while awarding punishment.Opposing the plea, public prosecutor Sachin contended that the crime committed by the convict was grave and heinous, and pressed for stringent punishment to set an example in society.After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge observed that the accused took the lives of two young women in a cruel manner and that the circumstances of the case did not justify any leniency in sentencing.“At the same time, this case does not fall within the category of the ‘rarest of rare’ cases,” the court noted, ruling out the death penalty and awarded life imprisonment.According to the prosecution, Kuldeep entered the top floor of the PG around 5.10am on Aug 15, 2019. An argument broke out between him and the sisters, following which he attacked both with a knife, killing them on the spot. He fled immediately after the crime.The victims were identified as Rajwant Kaur and Manpreet Kaur from Fazilka. They had been living in the Sector 22 house for nearly one year and worked with a private company in Zirakpur. Police said Kuldeep knew the sisters and visited them earlier. Police told the court that Kuldeep was in a relationship with Manpreet, but the relationship deteriorated in the months preceding the incident. MSID:: 128119587 413 |
