Shimla, Dec 1 (IANS) Three weeks after a Dharamsala court held four senior medical students guilty and sentenced them to four years’ rigorous imprisonment in the Aman Kachru ragging-to-death case, one of the convicts Wednesday moved the Himachal Pradesh High Court against the decision.
Naveen Verma’s petition challenging the conviction that was listed for admission in the court of Justice Surinder Singh was admitted.
Aman, 19, who was in the Rajendra Prasad Medical College and Hospital in Tanda in Kangra district since 2007, died March 8 last year after he was ragged by the four drunk seniors.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Purinder Vaidya held Ajay Verma, Naveen Verma, Abhinav Verma and Mukul Sharma held guilty under Sections 304 II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 34 (common intention) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code.
In his petition, Naveen contended that at the time of ragging, Aman had told the appellant that he was suffering from some ear problem and on this he had sent him back to his room. ‘This circumstance alone proves that he had no intention to give any beating to the deceased.’
In the appeal it was mentioned that the trial was highlighted by the media, both electronic and print, and the theory of the realistic jurisprudence was applied against the convicts.
During the trial in the Dharamsala court, the prosecution pleaded that Aman was brutally beaten under the garb of ragging by his seniors and they should be convicted for murder.
After the judgement was pronounced, Special Public Prosecutor Jiwan Lal Sharma said: ‘I will recommend to the government to move the high court against both decisions of the court – one of convicting the students under culpable homicide and not under charges of murder, and second showing leniency while pronouncing the quantum of punishment.’
