Overview
- Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Kumar Sharma sentenced Mohammad Sarfaraz (alias Rinku) to death and gave nine co-accused rigorous life terms, each fined Rs 1 lakh.
- The court had convicted 10 on December 9 and acquitted three—Khurshid, Shakeel and Afzal—after a 13-month trial under BNS 103(2), rioting provisions and the Arms Act.
- The order cites extreme cruelty, noting multiple gunshot wounds, burnt toes and pulled nails, and classifies the killing as a 'rarest of rare' case.
- Prosecutors said the murder weapon was recovered from Sarfaraz and that he fired at police during recovery, factors the court weighed in identifying him as the main assailant.
- The October 13, 2024 killing during a Durga immersion in Maharajganj triggered arson, internet suspension and heavy security deployment, and authorities later invoked the NSA in two phases against the accused.