UP: Couple, son get life term in 2021 culpable homicide case

Ballia (UP), Dec 10 A local court has sentenced a man, his wife and their son to life imprisonment in a culpable homicide case arising from a land dispute, an official said on Wednesday.

Senior prosecution officer P N Swami said the incident took place on the night of July 19, 2021, at Ratsad Khurd village under the Garwar police station limits.

Chhathu Verma was sitting outside his house when his brother Kishun Verma, Kishun’s wife Usha, and their sons, Amrit and a minor, allegedly attacked him with sticks and bricks following a land dispute.

Chhathu sustained serious injuries and died the next morning during treatment at the district hospital. Based on the complaint filed by the victim’s brother, Sohan Verma, police registered a case against all four under the relevant sections of IPC for culpable homicide and assault.

After investigation, a chargesheet was filed against the accused.

Swami said District and Sessions Judge Anil Kumar Jha on Tuesday held Kishun Verma, his wife Usha and son Amrit guilty and awarded them life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh each.

Proceedings against the accused minor are being conducted separately before the Juvenile Justice Board.

The main difference between culpable homicide and murder is that while murder is a more severe form of culpable homicide, requiring a higher level of malicious intent or knowledge to cause death, culpable homicide covers unlawful killings with lesser intent.