"The additional district judge Ashish Dixit also handed down two-year jail term to Patel's accomplice Bhavesh Soni on the charges of keeping the custody of valuables stolen from Pancholi's flat after murder and destroying evidence", public prosecutor Shekhar Bundela told PTI.
The court found Patel guilty under sections 302 (murder), 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) and 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of Indian Penal Code, he said.
It was prosecution's case that Pancholi (32), staying alone in a flat provided to her by the institute on the campus, was stabbed to death by Patel on December 17, 2009, after she refused to reveal her ATM card's PIN number to him.
According to prosecution, Patel came to know that there was a lot of money in Pacholi's account and he decided to steal it along with Soni.
On December 17, Patel, who was hiding in Pancholi's flat with an intention to steal money, took away her purse containing the ATM card and asked her to reveal the PIN.
However, as Pancholi refused, he stabbed her repeatedly resulting in her death.