Times News NetworkMohali: Nearly five years after the murder of a scrap dealer in Mullanpur Garibdas, a local court has sentenced the accused to life imprisonment.The court of additional district and sessions judge Vikrant Kumar convicted Mangat Singh alias Manga, a resident of Kartarpur village, under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for killing Jai Prakash Prasad, who ran a scrap shop in Majra village.The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the convict. In case of default, he will face additional imprisonment as per law.Deputy district attorney Hardeep Singh Rumana said the incident occurred on Oct 8, 2021. Jai Prakash was attacked with a sharp‑edged weapon at his shop following a dispute over scrap payment. He suffered severe injuries and was rushed to PGIMER, Chandigarh, where he later died.Initially, police registered a case against an unknown person.
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The investigation gained direction after Gurvinder Singh, then sarpanch of Majra, came forward as an eyewitness.He said he had gone to the shop to sell scrap and saw Mangat Singh arguing with Jai Prakash. On hearing cries, he returned and allegedly saw Mangat striking the victim with an iron grass‑cutting kirpan. When he tried to intervene, the accused threatened him, forcing him to flee and alert others.Based on this testimony, police arrested Mangat Singh on Oct 14, 2021. During interrogation, he allegedly admitted that he had gone to collect payment, and the argument escalated into violence. He confessed to picking up the kirpan from the shop and striking Jai Prakash repeatedly on the head and face.The court examined the eyewitness account, forensic evidence, and other records before ruling that the prosecution had proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt.During sentencing, Mangat Singh pleaded for leniency, citing his role as the sole breadwinner for his family. The prosecution opposed, pointing out that the victim too was the only earning member of his household.The prosecutor sought the death penalty, but the court held the case did not qualify as “rarest of rare.” It rejected the plea for leniency and awarded life imprisonment with a fine of Rs 20,000, closing the long‑pending trial.
