2014-06-09 16:01:00

‎17 Indian police given life terms for killing man‎


An Indian court sentenced 17 police officers Monday to life in prison for kidnapping and killing a 22-‎year-old jobseeker in their custody in 2009.   Prosecutors said business graduate Ranbir Singh had gone ‎to the northern city of Dehradun looking for a job when he was arrested by police for alleged robbery.  ‎Newspapers said police claimed Singh was involved in an extortion racket and was shot trying to ‎escape arrest. But an investigation determined he'd been tortured, shot 12 times at close range and died ‎in custody.   The conviction of 17 police officers in a single case is believed to be unprecedented in ‎India.  Rights groups often accuse Indian security forces of torturing and killing people in custody to ‎force them to confess. ‎
In convicting the officers on Friday, Judge J.P. Malik also found them guilty of entering into a criminal ‎conspiracy to kill Singh. The officers had denied the charges against them and can appeal.   Members of ‎the victim's family said Monday they had hoped the officers would be given the death penalty, and ‎would appeal the sentences to a higher court.  The case was tried in New Delhi, after the victim's father, ‎Ravindra Singh, filed a petition saying the involvement of Uttarakhand's state police left him doubtful ‎that justice could be served by authorities in the state capital of Dehradun.‎  (Source: AP)

 








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