PATNA: A Samastipur court on Wednesday sentenced 13 people, including LJP Rosera block president, to rigorous life imprisonment for killing a journalist of a vernacular daily over property dispute with his cousins and his news items exposing irregularities in medicine business by some of his distant relatives. Vikash Ranjan (36) was shot dead outside his office at Rosera in Samastipur district of Bihar on November 25, 2008.
“Vikash was killed over property dispute with his cousins and for exposing irregularities committed by his relatives in their medicine business,” additional public prosecutor (APP)
Ram Kumar told
TOI. He said the hearing on a title suit between Vikash and his uncle over ancestral property had begun just four days before his murder. The APP also said that irregularities had been found in raids conducted on the medicine shop owned by Vikash’s relatives following his news item published in the daily.
Altogether14 people, including LJP leader Swayamwar Yadav and one Mohan Yadav, were pronounced guilty by the court on September 15. However,
Mohan evaded arrest after the court verdict. The court awarded rigorous life imprisonment to the rest 13 on Wednesday.