Romesh Sharma gets lifer in Kunjum murder case

{image-Romesh sharma1_18022008.jpg news.oneindia.in}New Delhi, Feb 18: A city court today ordered life imprisonment for Romesh Sharma, alleged frontman of underworld Don Dawood Ibrahim, for hatching a conspiracy to murder his fashion designer girlfriend Kunjum Budhiraja on March 20, 1999.

Five others including his nephew Surinder Mishra, Hem Chand, Santram, Ramesh and woman accused Tejinder Virdi alias Dolly were also sentenced life imprisonment for entering into a conspiracy to kill Budhiraja over a property dispute. Additional Session Judge S P Garg said there was no evidence against another accused Jaspreet Virdi alias Sonu and acquitted her for want of evidence on February 14. Romesh Sharma is facing trial in 16 other cases including that of intimidation, property grabbing and cheating.

Sharma's nephew had taken the victim Budhiraja to his farm house on the pretext of offering ''puja'' where she was stabbed to death by a group of hired gangsters from Uttar Pradesh.

The Judge after pronouncing the life sentence for all accused also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Romesh Sharma, Rs 5000 on Surinder Sharma and Tejinder Virdi and Rs 1000 on all the remaining accused.

Sharma and the five others had been convicted last week for the murder under section 302 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.

UNI