Retd Armyman awarded life imprisonment for parcel bomb murder

New Delhi, May 3 (UNI) A city court today awarded life imprisonment to a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army for committing the murder of Kishan Sikand, son of the owner of Sikand Motors, through a parcel bomb 25 years ago.

Additional Sessions Judge Mamta Sehgal after hearing the arguments sentenced Lt Col (retd) S J Chaudhury to life imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him.

Lt Col Chaudhury was convicted under Section 302 of IPC and various sections of Explosive Substances Act, 1908.

On October 1982, a parcel bomb sent by Lt Col Chaudhury killed Kishan Sikand, son of Sikand Motors owner H D Sikand at his Sundernagar flat.

He had decided to kill Kishan as he was seeing Chaudhury's separated wife Rani, who even started living with Kishan once the divorce between her and Chaudhury was decreed.

Kishan and Rani also planned to get married in the same year and the same was communicated to Mr Sikand.

The affair was seriously objected to by Lt Col Chaudhury, which provided him the motive to kill Kishan.

Lt Col Chaudhury, being trained in the use of explosives and having access to these in the Army, procured a hand grenade and put it in a parcel with a boogie trap detonating device and left it on the doorsteps of Kishan, who died due to the grenade explosion as he opened the parcel.

The court had adjourned the matter for quantum of sentence on April 30.

UNI XC KK RN1557