STATE TIMES NEWS
BANDIPORA: In a landmark judgment, the Additional Sessions Judge, Susheel Singh, at Bandipora has sentenced Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Abdul Wahid Mir, son of Mohammad Abdullah Mir, resident of Onagam, Bandipora, to life imprisonment for his involvement in a brutal murder registered under FIR No. 170/1993 at Police Station Bandipora.
The court also convicted Mir under Section 201 RPC, awarding three years rigorous imprisonment, and under Section 7/27 Arms Act, sentencing him to seven years rigorous imprisonment. All sentences are ordered to run concurrently, and the period already spent in custody has been set off under Section 428 CrPC.
The prosecution, represented by the Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) for the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, argued that the offences were heinous, involving cold-blooded murder, use of prohibited arms, and destruction of evidence. The crime, the APP stated, fell within the rarest of rare category, warranting capital punishment and emphasizing the need for justice for the victim’s family.
Defending the convict, LADC submitted that Mir, presently lodged in District Jail Agra, is of poor family background, had already spent long periods in custody since 2016, and had family obligations. The LADC urged the court to consider mitigating circumstances such as the convict’s age, the possibility of reform, and lack of prior conviction in heinous offences. Abdul Wahid Mir also appeared through virtual mode from Agra Jail, reiterating his plea for mercy and requesting a change in his place of custody.
The court, while considering the Bachan Singh vs. State of Punjab (1982) guidelines and other Supreme Court precedents, noted the mitigating factors, including Mir’s age (55 years) and long incarceration, and concluded that life imprisonment was appropriate.
In line with the Victim Compensation Scheme, 2013 (SRO 394), the court directed the Member Secretary, J&K Legal Services Authority to release Rs. 1 lakh to the parents of the deceased victim.
The convict will continue in Central Jail Agra until required for proceedings in FIR No. 174/1993, after which he will be transferred to Central Jail Srinagar to serve his sentence. The judgment and sentence have been forwarded to the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh for confirmation, and Mir has been informed of his right to appeal. Copies of the order have also been sent to the District Magistrate Bandipora and the Senior Superintendent of Police Bandipora for record.