Five cousins among six get life term for murder

Six persons, including five cousins, have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a local court for murdering a youth following a dispute pertaining to IPL betting in 2011.
District and Additional Sessions Judge S G Mehere found the six guilty of killing Dinesh Shendekar from Timki area on January 19, 2011. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 300 on each of the convicts.
The accused were held guilty on the charge of rioting but acquitted of attempt to murder charge.
The court held Mahesh Devgune, Sanjeev Kuhikar, Santosh Kuhikar, Devanand Kuhikar, Sheshrao Kuhikar and Rajesh Kuhikar guilty for murder under section 302 of IPC and also under section 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object).

Another accused Jeetendra Kolte was acquitted of all charges.
According to the prosecution, the deceased Shendekar and Rajesh had a tiff over some monetary dispute pertaining to IPL betting.

Shendekar had allegedly barged into Rajesh's residence and roughed up his mother.
This enraged the Kuhikar kin who attacked Shendekar and Amol Kumbhalkar with sharp weapons leading to Shendekar's death.
Later, Mahesh and Sanjeev rushed to Tehsil police station to claim they had been attacked by the victim and his accomplices.
Additional public prosecutor Girish Dubey contended that Mahesh and Sanjeev had tried to mislead the investigation but were nailed by the strong circumstantial evidence.

Prosecution had examined 14 witnesses in the case.