Sentencing and Background
A Mumbai sessions court has sentenced 39-year-old Afsar Shaikh, also known as Panchi, to life imprisonment for the murder of Zulfikar Choudhari in June 2020. The case, as reported by the Free Press Journal and Lokmat Times, stemmed from a long-standing family dispute linked to Shaikh's marriage to Rehana, who was related to the deceased.
According to the prosecution's case, Shaikh had married Rehana against the wishes of her family, which led to repeated arguments between him and Zulfikar. The dispute reportedly escalated after Shaikh became involved with another woman, identified as Rubina. Zulfikar objected to this relationship and advised Shaikh to end it.
The Incident
About one month before the fatal incident, Zulfikar again questioned Shaikh about the matter. Shaikh allegedly threatened him with serious consequences if he interfered in his personal affairs. On June 12, 2020, at around 9:30 am, Zulfikar left home for work. Approximately an hour later, a woman arrived and informed his family that Shaikh had attacked him with a knife.
Witnesses told investigators that Shaikh stabbed Zulfikar multiple times and threatened to kill anyone who attempted to intervene. Family members rushed the injured man to Rajawadi Hospital, where he was declared dead.
Trial and Evidence
During the trial, the prosecution examined eyewitnesses, as well as several family members and neighbours, to establish the differences between the accused and the deceased. The prosecution also relied on a video recording of the incident shot by a person present at the scene. However, the court discarded this evidence because the police had not followed proper procedure and the witness who recorded it was not examined.
Despite the rejection of the video, the court based its verdict on the testimonies of the witnesses and found Shaikh guilty. The court declined to grant him any leniency.
Court's Observations
In sentencing, the judge observed that the murder of Zulfikar Choudhari occurred in broad daylight, and the postmortem report recorded eleven external injuries inflicted with a knife on the vital parts of the deceased. The judge noted that the deceased was a dressmaker and that his family suffered irreparable pain by losing their head of the family. The court also emphasized that the nature of the murder and its grave effect on society must be considered.
Shaikh was booked on the complaint of Nasruddin, Zulfikar's son and Rehana's cousin, according to the Free Press Journal.