The court also imposed a fine of Rs 12,000 on 22-year-old convict Sanjeet Kumar, a resident of Shalimar Bagh here, after holding him guilty of killing his friend Suresh and also for concealing the evidence.
"I hereby hold that the prosecution has been able to prove and substantiate the allegations against accused Sanjeet Kumar of having committed murder of Suresh by manually strangulating him and of having concealed the blood-stained pillow thereby causing the evidence of murder to disappear," said Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau.
The court held Kumar, a labourer, guilty of offences punishable under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the IPC.
According to police, Kumar had strangulated Suresh, a daily wager, to death on May 16 last year in his 'jhuggi' and had concealed the blood stained pillow.
After murdering Suresh, the accused had dragged his body and it was found lying outside the house of the brother of the deceased the next morning, it said.
During the probe, it was found that Kumar was missing from his 'jhuggi' and was apprehended on May 20 last year on a tip off, the police said, adding he admitted during interrogation to have killed Suresh after a quarrel between them.
He also led police to the blood-stained pillow concealed in a nearby garbage dump, it said.
During trial, Kumar told the court he was falsely implicated in the case by the police only to work it out and he has nothing to do with this incident.
The court, however, convicted him relying on the medical and forensic evidence and also the fact that Suresh was last seen alive by a witness while the victim was entering Kumar's 'jhuggi.'
"I hereby hold that the conduct of accused Sanjeet Kumar in absconding after the incident is highly suspicious....The deceased died on the intervening night of May 16-17, 2011 after he was last seen alive entering the jhuggi of accused Sanjeet Kumar," it said, adding, Kumar had failed to explain as to when did he part Suresh's company and where.
The court also noted in DNA finger printing report, the blood stains of the deceased was found on the pillow which got recovered at the instance of Kumar.
"It is this DNA finger printing report which conclusively connects the accused (Kumar) to the recovery of the pillow containing DNA of the deceased," the judge said.
