Five Maoists convicted for killing District Forest Officer

Sasaram court today held five Maoists guilty for killing the then District Forest Officer (DFO) of Rohtas, Sanjay Singh, 15 years ago.

Sasaram (Bihar), June 21: A Sasaram court today held five Maoists guilty for killing the then District Forest Officer (DFO) of Rohtas, Sanjay Singh, 15 years ago.

District and Sessions Judge Prabhunath Singh convicted the five accused Maoists, Nirala Yadav, Ram Bachan Yadav, Nitish Yadav, Sudama Uraon and Lalan Singh Kharwar.

The judge convicted them under sections of Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), Arms Act and sections 302 (punishment for murder), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The judge will award the quantum of punishment to the convicts on July 5. Singh, the then DFO of Rohtas district, was kidnapped and taken to Rehal area in Kaimur forests under Rohtas police station area by the Maoists who shot him dead from close range on February 15, 2002.

The state government had subsequently handed over the probe to the CBI.

PTI