CUTTACK: After a marathon trial of nearly two years, a city-based lower court on Thursday convicted and awarded life sentence to a person who had indiscriminately opened fire after a scuffle with police killing a young Kerala doctor on the outskirts of SCB medical college here in April 2005.

Additional Sessions Judge of Cuttack district Ghanashyam Panigrahy found the 27-year-old accused Santosh Paschimakabat guilty under Section 302 of IPC for killing Dr Arun Kumar, a final year orthopedic PG student of the medical college. The convict was sentenced to life term for murder and four years' RI with Rs 5000 fine for offences committed under Arms Act. In case of non-payment of fine, the convict would further undergo six-month RI, the judgment said.

Arun Kumar was shot dead on April 18, 2005 as he received three bullet injuries that were fired from the 9mm semi-automatic pistol of Paschimakabat while the later was engaged in a scuffle with police near the hospital campus. Arun Kumar was on his way to the hospital on a motorcycle to attend an emergency case. The incident had created ruckus across the State at that time as a student agitation was building up over the deteriorating law and order situation. Three contractors were also killed in a separate shootout at Bhubaneswar the same day.

Compensation

The police and local administration had come under severe criticism after the incident. The police after arresting the culprit on some other charges were taking him to the police station when he jumped from the vehicle and started firing indiscriminately.

The culprit was not immediately disarmed after his arrest and was taken to the PS on a motorcycle without adequate escort.

The Government had paid a compensation of Rs 10 lakhs to the widow of Arun Kumar who is an anesthetist in Kerala.

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