Constables Lebenius Marandi and Dhanraj Maraiya, who were part of the team, had survived the carnage.Marandi and Maraiya gave statements as eyewitnesses and claimed that they heard the names of Pravir and Tala being called out by the attackers.The prosecution examined 31 witnesses, including the two eyewitnesses.While delivering his judgment, Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay held that the statements of the eyewitnesses were not reliable.They had deposed that they had become unconscious after the attack and therefore could not have heard the names of the appellants, he noted.Though both Marandi and Maraiya were witnesses to the occurrence, they had not seen the convicts participating in the mayhem, he observed.Justice Mukhopadhyay set aside the order of conviction and the death sentence given in the case.Justice Prasad took a divergent view and held that the eyewitnesses had identified Pravir and Tala in court to be present at the place of occurrence.He further held that the gruesome murder of an IPS officer along with his team during the discharge of their official duty does not evoke any sympathy.Affirming the death sentence, Justice Prasad directed the state government to provide a compensation of Rs 2 crore to the kin of the deceased SP, and give a job in the rank of DSP or deputy collector to his son or daughter.Also, a compensation of Rs 50 lakh each should be provided to the family members of the five policemen who died in the incident, he directed, asking the state government to also give class IV jobs to them on compassionate grounds.The case is expected to be taken up by the HC’s chief justice for further legal procedures.
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