Pravin convicted of Pramod Mahajan's murder, sentence tomorrow

Mumbai, Dec 17 (UNI) Nearly 20 months after firebrand BJP leader Pramod Mahajan was murdered, his younger brother Pravin Mahajan was today found guilty of murdering the former Union Minister and criminal trespassing by a sessions court here, which will pronounce the quantum of sentence tomorrow.

Ending the nine-month long eventful trial, Additional Session Court Judge S P Davare said considering all evidences brought on record by the prosecution during the trial process, accused Pravin Mahajan was found guilty under section 302 (Murder) and 449 (House trespass) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Pravin was accused of allegedly shooting his elder brother Pramod on April 22 last year at the late BJP leaders Worli residence, wounding him seriously and, thereafter, surrendered himself along with his 0.32 bore pistol. The police filed a 650-page chargesheet before the court on July 14 last year.

Pramod had succumbed to the injuries on May 3 at P D Hinduja hospital.

The court will pronouce quantum of sentence tomorrow after the submissions of prosecution as well as defence advocates on it, Judge Davare added.

As the judge pronounced the order, Pravin sat calmly on the bench in the dock of the court room.

The Judge pronounced the order after 20 months of the incident, in a jam-packed court room.

Elaborating the verdict Special Public Prosecutor Ujwal Nikam told mediapersons the court had upheld the defence arguement that what Pramod had told BJP leader and his brother-in-law Gopinath Munde, on way to hospital ''Me ashe kay gunha kele ki Pravin ne mala golya marlya'', ( What did I do that Pravin shot me), should be considered as ''dying declaration'' of the deceased.

The court had upheld most of the points of the prosecution and on that basis, he was held guilty, he added.

During the trial, the prosecution had examined 32 witnesses, including eyewitness and wife of the deceased, Rekha Mahajan. She had identified the accused and told the court that he had shot Pramod.

Apart from Rekha, other prominent witnesses were Mr Munde his wife Pragnya, Pramod Mahajan's daughter Poonam Rao and others.

The defence has examined three witnesses, including the accused and his wife Sarangi.

UNI