Bhubaneswar, Jan 21: The Khordha District and Sessions Judge Court has sentenced two individuals to rigorous life imprisonment after convicting them for the brutal murder of a betel shop owner in Bhubaneswar.
The convicted individuals, identified as Kabu alias Ashok Das and Papuni alias Maoj Das, were found guilty of hacking Soumya Ranjan Kunda, the betel shop owner, to death in front of the Bhubaneswar DCP office. The court’s decision was based on the statements of 18 witnesses and other evidence. The two were convicted under Section 302/34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which pertains to murder.
In addition to the life sentences, the court imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on each of the accused. If either fails to pay the fine, they will face an additional year of rigorous imprisonment.
The murder took place in the early hours of August 30-31, 2022, following a complaint filed by the deceased’s brother, Sagar Kumar Kunda. The Saheed Nagar Police registered a case and began an investigation into the incident.
Soumya Ranjan Kunda ran a betel shop located between Metro building and Kalyan Jeweller at Vani Vihar Square in Bhubaneswar. His brother’s hotel was situated nearby, and both Soumya and his father had the habit of sleeping at their respective businesses overnight.
The two accused attacked Soumya Ranjan viciously, inflicting severe injuries. He was first taken to Capital Hospital with multiple cuts, then referred to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries on the morning of August 31, 2022, at AIIMS.
