Two years on, trial concludes in Akansh Sen murder case

Two years after the trial started in the infamous Akansh Sen murder case, the last hearing was held on Tuesday. The final order is expected by October 30.

During the trial, the counsel of the complainant, advocate Terminder Singh while presenting judgements argued that the medical evidence proved the presence of tyre marks on the deceased’s abdomen thereby supporting the version of eye-witnesses.

He also stated that motive of murder was proved by Sen’s friend Gagandeep Shergill alias Shera and that the accused had admitted to be involved in a fight on earlier occasions with Shera.

Sen, a relative of former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, was allegedly run over by a BMW car following a brawl in Sector 9 on February 9, 2017.

According to the prosecution, accused Balraj Singh Randhawa crushed Sen under his car after being instigated by another accused, Harmehtab Singh Rarewala. While Rarewala was arrested on February 16, 2017, Randhawa remains at large.

During trial, prosecution had presented that there was an old enmity between Rarewala and Shera that started with a scuffle in Manali. It was followed by another scuffle at Landran at Rarewala’s farm house.

It was stated that on the day of the incident, Rarewala and other witnesses had gone to one Deep Sidhu’s house in Sector 9 post a party, where Sen came in search of Shera. While they were outside the house, Sen confronted Rarewala over his behaviour with Shera .

This infuriated Rarewala, and as per prosecution, he said, “Tu Shere da bodyguard lageyaa hai, pehlan tainu hi theek karde haan (Are you Shera’s bodyguard? Let’s take care of you first).” He then sat in Randhawa’s BMW car and instigated him to run over Sen.

On the other hand, the defence counsel NPS Waraich had argued that entire case was “fabricated” and that Rarewala had “nothing to do with Sen’s death”. He also highlighted the differences in the statements of prosecution witnesses and the investigating officer (IO).

Presenting the findings of Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), New Delhi, the defence had stated the report as per which “no blood stains or tyre marks were found on the jeans.” He stated that the blood, found on BMW car that allegedly ran over Sen, was not of the deceased.

As per the defence, Sen was not even “touched by a car”. Waraich had also questioned that how can a body have abrasions if a BMW car weighing 1,520 kilogram runs it over three or five times.

UNWINDING THE EVENTS

February 8, 2017: 11 friends went for a get-together party in Booombox café, co-owned by the victim Akansh Sen.

February 9: Wee hours of the day, Akansh was allegedly murdered by Balraj Singh Randhawa and Harmehtab Singh Rarewala after crushing him three-five times under the BMW car in Sector 9.

February 16: Accused Rarewala arrested from Haridwar

March 5: Trial court declared Randhawa as PO

May 6: Police submitted chargesheet against Rarewala

August 18 : First hearing in the case

October 28: Court frames charges against Harmehtab Singh under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC.

May 23, 2019 : On court’s directions, police registered another case under Section 174A (non-appearance in response to a proclamation under Section 82 of Act 2 of 1974) against Randhawa.

October 15 : Trial concludes

FINAL ARGUMENTS Prosecution argues that medical evidence proves the presence of tyre marks on the deceased’s abdomen thereby supporting the version of eye-witnesses