A chilling double murder case from Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur has once again drawn attention after the High Court upheld the life imprisonment awarded to the accused, describing the crime as “extremely cruel and barbaric.” The division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal dismissed the appeal filed by accused Vicky alias Sukhiram Yadav, who had challenged the trial court’s verdict in the sensational 2021 murder case involving his girlfriend and her innocent daughter.

The horrific incident took place in Raipur’s Telibandha area and had shocked the entire state because of the brutality involved. According to the prosecution, the accused murdered his girlfriend by slitting her throat and later killed her young daughter by leaving her on a railway track, where she was run over by a goods train. The court observed that the crime was not accidental or committed in sudden anger, but was a carefully planned act intended to eliminate both victims and escape legal consequences.

Court records reveal that the woman had earlier filed a rape case against Vicky alias Sukhiram Yadav. Following the complaint, the accused had been arrested and sent to jail. However, after securing bail, he allegedly came under continuous pressure from the woman to marry her. The woman reportedly warned him that if he refused marriage, she would pursue the rape case strongly in court and ensure he received punishment.

Investigators said the accused wanted to avoid both marriage and legal complications. As a result, he allegedly planned the murder in advance. On the night of January 22, 2021, he called the woman near Jora Maidan in Raipur under the pretext of meeting her. During the meeting, he attacked her with a knife and slit her throat, killing her on the spot. Police later recovered the woman’s body from the area.

What made the crime even more disturbing was the murder of the victim’s young daughter. According to the prosecution, after killing the woman, the accused became afraid that the child could expose him or become evidence against him. To eliminate all traces of the crime, he took the little girl to a nearby railway track and left her there. Soon afterward, a goods train ran over the child, leading to her tragic death.

The brutal nature of the murders triggered widespread outrage in the region. The following morning, the accused reportedly went to former village sarpanch Rikhiram Sahu and confessed his crime. Based on the information, police arrested him and launched a detailed investigation. During interrogation and forensic examination, investigators collected several crucial pieces of evidence linking him directly to the murders.

The trial court, after examining witness statements, forensic reports and other material evidence, convicted the accused on July 19, 2022. He was found guilty under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for murder and Section 201 for destruction of evidence. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment.

However, the accused later approached the High Court challenging the verdict. His counsel argued before the court that the incident occurred in a sudden fit of anger and was not pre-planned. The defense also claimed that the accused was mentally disturbed at the time of the incident and therefore deserved leniency.

The High Court rejected all such arguments. In its detailed observation, the division bench stated that the sequence of events clearly showed preparation and intention. The court pointed out that the accused had carried a knife to the meeting spot, which indicated prior planning. The bench further observed that the earlier threats made by the accused and his actions after the murder strongly proved that he acted deliberately.

The court also relied heavily on forensic and scientific evidence. DNA analysis and forensic science laboratory reports confirmed the presence of human blood on the knife used in the crime and on the clothes of the accused. The judges noted that this evidence conclusively established his involvement and left no room for doubt.

Calling the murders “heinous,” the High Court emphasized that such crimes cannot be viewed with sympathy. The bench remarked that the murder of a helpless child in such a manner reflected extreme brutality and a complete disregard for human life. The court further stated that the accused attempted not only to kill the victims but also to destroy evidence in a calculated way.

Legal experts say the judgment reinforces the judiciary’s strict stand against crimes involving violence against women and children. The case also highlights how forensic evidence and scientific investigation are playing an increasingly important role in securing convictions in serious criminal matters.

The incident had deeply disturbed residents of Raipur when it first came to light in 2021. Many local organizations and women’s groups had demanded the harshest possible punishment for the accused, calling the murders inhuman and unforgivable. With the High Court now dismissing the appeal, the life sentence awarded by the trial court remains in force.

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