Attempt to Stage Double Murder as Road Accident Fails, Four Get Life Imprisonment in Raigarh
Raipur: Nearly three years after a brutal double murder was allegedly disguised as a road accident, a Special Court in Raigarh has sentenced four men to life imprisonment in the 2023 Tamnar double murder case.
The Special Judge under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Raigarh, on July 31 convicted all four accused for the murder of two members of the Scheduled Tribe community and for attempting to destroy evidence. Each convict was awarded two life sentences along with fines under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred around 10:30 pm on July 19, 2023, in Godhi village under the Tamnar police station limits. Driven by an old rivalry, the accused allegedly conspired to kill Raghuvan Chauhan and Uddhav Chauhan. They attacked the victims with axes, sticks, and other blunt weapons, resulting in their deaths at the spot.
After the murders, the accused allegedly dragged one of the bodies onto the main road in an attempt to make the crime appear as a fatal road accident and destroy crucial evidence. However, forensic evidence and a detailed police investigation exposed the conspiracy.
The initial investigation was led by then Tamnar police station in-charge, Inspector Ashirwad Rahatgaonkar. The probe included a detailed crime scene examination, collection of forensic evidence, recovery of the murder weapons based on the accused’s disclosure statements, and recording of witness testimonies.
As required under the SC/ST Act, the subsequent investigation was conducted by then SDOP, Dharamjaigarh, Deepak Mishra. The investigation included recording key eyewitness statements before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, collecting caste-related evidence, initiating legal proceedings against absconding accused, and filing a comprehensive chargesheet.
During the trial, Special Public Prosecutor Rajeev Beriwal examined 22 witnesses and presented 81 documentary exhibits along with 20 material exhibits before the court. Based on the evidence, the court convicted Harilal Oraon (33), Mukesh Padihari (41), Jitendra Patnaik alias Jeetu (34), and Ganesh Padihari (35), all residents of Godhi village in Raigarh district, sentencing each to life imprisonment for the double murder.
