Additional Sessions Judge Vijay Kumar Dahiya awarded the jail term to Delhi resident Pankaj for stabbing Dharmender, a vegetable seller in Mahavir Enclave in West Delhi, over a tiff on payment for tomatoes eaten by the convict and his friends from the victim's shop.
The court, however, rejected the prosecution's plea for capital punishment saying the case does not fall under the "rarest of rare" category.
"Analysing facts of instant case, apparently this is not a case where it can be said with certitude that the murder was committed in such a diabolical and cruel fashion that it shocks the conscience of society, nor does the nature of the crime and the circumstances of the offender reveal that the criminal is a menace to the society.
"The present case apparently does not fall in category of rarest of rare cases. In the circumstances, convict is hereby sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life," the judge said, also imposing a fine of Rs 10,000 on the convict.
According to the prosecution, the victim and his brother Rajesh were in their shop on May 4, 2010 night when three boys, including accused Pankaj, came there and began eating tomatoes without paying for the same.
As Dharmender objected to it, the three began abusing him, Rajesh told the court adding the matter, however, was resolved with the intervention of others.
However, fearing that the boys might return, Rajesh asked Dharmender to go home, but hardly had he gone 50-60 paces away from the shop when the trio attacked him with Pankaj whipping out a knife and stabbing him, the prosecution had told the court.
The court had convicted Pankaj on the basis of medical evidence as well as the testimony of witnesses, including the victim's brother. Two other accused were found juveniles and the case against them were referred to Juvenile Justice Borad.