Seraikela (Jharkhand), Sept 25 (BJNN):
A local court in Seraikela-Kharswan district on Thursday awarded capital punishment to a man for the brutal murder of his brother and four family members, including three children, in Chandil sub-division in 2019.
The convict, Chunnu Manjhi, was found guilty under Section 302 IPC (murder) by the court of District and Additional Sessions Judge Sachindra Nath Sinha earlier this week. The quantum of punishment was argued today, following which the court sentenced him to hang till death, citing the case as “brutal and rarest of rare,” said Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Harsh Vardhan.
The conviction was based on strong forensic evidence, including the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report, and the deposition of 11 witnesses, APP Vardhan added.
In addition to the death sentence, the court imposed a fine of ₹20,000 on the convict. The court also handed Chunnu Manjhi two years of imprisonment under Section 427 IPC (mischief causing damage), for setting fire to the victim’s house.
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Incident Details
The crime occurred in Pudisili village, under Chandil sub-division, on the early morning of February 23, 2019. As per the FIR registered on the statement of Chunnu’s brother, Sidhu Soren, the accused showed up at his house around 4:00 AM, wielding an axe, after killing his brother Ravi Manjhi, Ravi’s wife Kalpana alias Pavtro, and their three children — Jitendra, Suresh, and Puresh.
Chunnu reportedly shouted about the murders and threatened to kill Sidhu as well. When Soren opened the door, Chunnu allegedly attacked him and their mother with the axe and set fire to Soren’s motorcycle and house.
Police arrived at the scene shortly after and arrested Chunnu Manjhi.
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Motive: Property Dispute
The prosecution revealed that the murders were driven by a land dispute. A piece of land had been sold and the proceeds were divided among the four brothers, including the victim. Chunnu reportedly felt that he had received less money, which triggered the deadly attack.
