Hyderabad: A court in Medchal-Malkajgiri district on Tuesday convicted two men in the 2023 revenge killing of an eight-year-old boy at Allauddinkoti in Sanathnagar. The III additional district and sessions judge, M Venkateswara Rao, awarded the death penalty to the prime accused, while the second accused was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment for assisting in the destruction of evidence.According to the Sanathnagar police, the main accused, Imran Ali Khan, 36, was sentenced to death, with the judge ordering that he “be hanged by the neck till death”. The second accused, Mohammed Rafiq, an autorickshaw driver, received seven-year jail term for helping dispose of the victim’s body.Additional public prosecutor G V Ram Krishna Rao told TOI the court awarded capital punishment to Imran after considering the gravity of the offence involving the murder of Abdul Wahid Khan, a Class III student, on April 20, 2023, and the subsequent attempt to conceal evidence.On the day of the murder, Wasim Khan and his son Wahid had gone to offer prayers at a mosque in Allauddinkoti. While Wasim returned home, the child did not. After a futile search for the boy, Wasim lodged a complaint at the Sanathnagar police station.During the investigation, police found that the boy had been seen entering Imran’s house but never came out. Investigators also identified an autorickshaw arriving at the residence shortly afterwards, into which a bag was loaded, the additional PP said.After taking Imran into custody, police learnt that the child had been murdered and the body had been dumped in a nala at Deendayal Nagar. Based on his confession, police recovered the bag and located the minor’s body.According to the chargesheet, the motive for the murder stemmed from a financial dispute linked to Imran’s chit fund business. Police said the victim’s father had paid all his monthly instalments and had repeatedly demanded the return of his money. When Imran delayed repayment, Wasim allegedly humiliated him.Seeking revenge, Imran allegedly lured the child to his residence by offering him chocolates. Police said he first throttled the boy and later strangled him to death using a cloth. He subsequently took the help of Rafiq to transport and dispose of the body at Deendayal Nagar in an attempt to destroy evidence.
