Man convicted of 1998 murder after 28 years in Uttar Pradesh court

A court in Bahraich has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for a murder committed 28 years ago, marking a significant breakthrough in a case that had remained pending for nearly three decades. The conviction was secured under "Operation Conviction," a special drive initiated by Uttar Pradesh Police to ensure swift and maximum punishment for identified crimes.

The court of Sunil Prasad, Fifth Additional District and Sessions Judge and Special Judge under the Gangsters Act in Bahraich, convicted Angad Shukla alias Karunesh, son of Mohanlal, a resident of Sikandarpur village under Hardi police station jurisdiction. Along with life imprisonment under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, the court imposed a fine of Rs 1,02,000 on the convicted accused. Failure to pay the fine would result in an additional six months of simple imprisonment.

The crime dates back to September 19, 1998, when Angad Shukla allegedly attacked Mahananand Mishra with an axe while the victim was resting on a cot in the veranda of his home around 2:30 pm. The prosecution argued that the murder stemmed from a long-standing family feud that had persisted since 1990. Mahananand's nephew witnessed the attack, and his screams brought family members and others to the scene, where they saw Angad fleeing after threatening other witnesses present.

The case was registered as FIR 165/1998 under Sections 302, 506, and 120B of the IPC at Hardi police station. Following evidence collection and witness testimonies by the then Station House Officer B.R. Baudh, a chargesheet was filed on October 13, 1998, and charges were framed on September 17, 1999. The conviction came following effective prosecution led by advocate Pramod Singh and coordinated efforts by Bahraich police under Superintendent Vishwajeet Srivastava's supervision as part of the statewide "Operation Conviction" campaign targeting long-pending criminal cases.