Overview
- Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Kumar Sharma sentenced Sarfaraz to death for killing Ram Gopal Mishra during a Durga idol immersion clash on October 13, 2024.
- Nine co-accused received rigorous life imprisonment, while three others were earlier acquitted for lack of evidence.
- The sentencing followed December 9 convictions in a case that initially named 13 accused, two of whom were killed in a police encounter while fleeing.
- The court cited extreme cruelty and detailed torture in labeling the case "rarest of rare," and the death sentence awaits confirmation by the Allahabad High Court.
- Authorities had invoked the National Security Act in March and September 2025, and the killing triggered internet suspension and major security deployments to restore order.