Family of 3 gets life for killing journo, bro over garbage tiff
Additional district govt counsel (ADGC) Amit Tyagi said, "Photojournalist Ashish Kumar (23), who worked with a prominent Hindi daily, and his brother Ashutosh Kumar (19) were shot dead by Mahipal Saini, his wife Vimlesh Saini (50) and their son Suraj Saini (28) in August 2019. The violence stemmed from a neighbourhood dispute. The confrontation turned violent when the Saini family forcibly entered the brothers' home in Madhavnagar locality, armed with country-made pistols.
Ashish was shot at close range and died on the spot, while Ashutosh succumbed to his injuries at the hospital."
Both brothers were primary earners for the family. Ashish left behind a pregnant wife and his mother, who filed the police complaint that led to the arrests. An FIR was lodged naming six members of the Saini family: three adults and three juveniles.
All accused had been out on bail. Following their conviction on Friday, the three adults were taken into custody.
The court of additional district judge Alok Sharma also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each.
"The fourth accused, Jagdeep Saini -- Mahipal's father, in his 70s -- was sentenced to six months in jail for giving his licensed firearm to his son 'for self-defence'. He was fined Rs 6,000. Trial proceedings for the three juveniles are ongoing before the Juvenile Justice Board," the ADGC said.
The killings sparked widespread public outrage, prompting local protests and heightening tensions as some individuals attempted to attack the accused family's home.
Additional forces, including the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), were deployed to maintain law and order.
The incident also drew sharp political reactions. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav demanded Rs 20 lakh compensation for the victims' family, while Congress leader Ajay Kumar called for chief minister Yogi Adityanath's resignation. Yogi later announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia for the victims' family.
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