Odisha Court Awards Life Sentence To 19 Convicts In 2016 Triple Murder Case
Nearly ten years after a violent clash shook Odisha’s Nabarangpur district, a court in Umerkote has sentenced 19 people to life imprisonment in the 2016 Baunsabeda triple murder and arson case.
The Additional District and Sessions Court also imposed a fine of ₹20,000 on each of the convicted individuals, while another accused was fined ₹5,000. Among those found guilty is former Umerkote block BJD president Debi Singh Majhi, who was absent during the verdict due to health issues.
The incident dates back to July 16, 2016, when tensions erupted in Baunsabeda village over a dispute involving government land. According to investigators, villagers opposed cultivation allegedly being carried out by Balaram Harijan on the disputed land after he was accused of removing saplings planted by the Forest Department.
The situation turned violent when a group of villagers went to confront him. During the clash, Gurubaru Bhatra was allegedly attacked with a knife, while Fagunu Bhatra was killed on the spot after his throat was slit. Gurubaru later died during treatment at a hospital.
Anger quickly spread through the village following the killings. An enraged mob reportedly surrounded Balaram’s house, hurled stones and set the property on fire. Balaram was later caught while trying to escape and was beaten to death by the crowd.
Police registered two separate cases at Umerkote Police Station and the matter remained under trial for years. After examining witness statements and evidence, the court finally delivered its verdict, convicting 19 accused in the case. Seventeen of them were present in court and were sent to jail immediately after sentencing.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
