New Delhi: A 26-year-old youth, accused of stabbing two men, has been sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment by a Delhi court.
District judge P S Teji handed down the jail term to Delhi resident Matira for attempting to commit culpable homicide under section 308 of the IPC.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5,500 on him with a direction that the amount be given as compensation to both the victims in equal proportion.
The judge also held Matira guilty for the offences of wrongfully restraining, voluntarily causing hurt and criminally intimidating the victims with the help of his aide Annu, who was declared a proclaimed offender during the pendency of trial.
The judge relied on the testimonies of victims Iliyas and his nephew Yakoob and their medical reports, while convicting Matira.
"Testimonies of Yakoob and Illyas are quite natural and trustworthy... I am of the firm view that statement of victim who happened to be eye witnesses of the incident and had suffered at the hands of the accused, alone is sufficient to base conviction if his solitary testimony inspires confidence of the court," the judge said.
The court said that the medical report of Iliyas proved that he received injury and an attempt to culpable homicide not amounting to murder was made while that of Yakoob proved that he was hurt by Matira by a sharp-edged weapon.
According to the prosecution, on the night of September 4, 2010, Iliyas and Yakub, both carpenters, were on their way back home to Ghaziabad when Matira and Annu, obstructed their way and stabbed them with a knife at Gazipur road.
It said both the accused threatened to kill the victims if they used this route again.
The duo ran away from the spot and were apprehended the next day. Iliyas, who received injury on his back, and Yakoob, who was stabbed in his right arm, were taken to a nearby hospital, it added.
Annu was declared a proclaimed offender after he stopped appearing before the court. During the trial, Matira pleaded innocence and said he was falsely implicated.
The court rejected the defence taken by Matira that he was not present at the spot at the time of incident, saying he could not substantiate it.
