The District and Sessions Court on Monday held all three accused– Chander Sharma, Tajender Singh and Vikrant–guilty of murder of four-year-old Yug Gupta in Shimla.
The next hearing for argument to decide the quantum of sentence would be on August 13, said Judge Virender Singh.
Vinod Gupta, father of Yug, has welcomed the order. He said he had full faith in the judiciary and his son would get justice.
On June 14, 2014, Yug was kidnapped by his neighbour Chander Sharma who lured him by offering a chocolate and took him to Tajender Singh’s godown situated just above Yug’s house. Later, he was whisked away to Chander’s rented house at Ram Chandera Chowk in sports utility vehicle (SUV) of Tajender.
Yug’s clothes were burnt to destroy evidence. The kid was tortured, kept naked, forced to drink liquor and dumped in water tank tied with a stone alive on June 21, 2014, seven days after the abduction.
Investigations revealed that Tajender and Vikrant were against killing the child, but Chander insisted, as he feared that if the child was allowed to go, he would spill the beans.
His skeletal remains were recovered two years later from a water tank of Shimla Municipal Corporation in Kelston area on August 21, 2016 after the enquiry was handed over to CID (Crime) branch.
The CID (Crime) had made 114 persons as witnesses and recorded the statements of over 100 persons. Ten reports included DNA report pertaining to matching of remains of Yug with his parents, diatomic report ascertaining that he was dumped in water alive and biological reports were included in the chargesheet filed against Chander Sharma, Tajender and Vikrant on October 25, 2016.
The other evidences submitted in the court included four reports from the physics division comparing photographs retrieved from one of the accused, Vikrant’s mobile with the background, handwriting on ransom letters, verification of ink and pen used and other scientific evidence.
Chander Sharma, a ninth semester law student, whose father runs a grocery store in Ram Bazaar was the master mind, Tajender who used to sit in his cosmetic shop in the same market was the financer while Vikrant, an engineering student was enticed and used.
For almost one-and-a-half year the residents of Keleston and other areas where a large number of VIPs are residing, were supplied water from this tank.
The rented isolated premise near Ram Chandra Chowk was hired online through OLX and there was no interference of the land lord who lived in Srinagar.
Two of the prime accused were from well to do families had normal childhood and were spoiled brats and their families shielded them.
