Two men were sentenced to life imprisonment by a fast track court here Friday for murdering judo coach Biranchi Das, who had trained child marathon runner Budhia Singh.
Judge Vivekananda Das of the first track court III awarded life term to Raja Acharya and his associate Akhya Behera, special government prosecutor Sidhartha Das told reporters.
The judge also fined them Rs.10,000 each. They will have to undergo an additional year of rigorous imprisonment if they fail to pay the fine, he said.Biranchi Das was shot dead outside a judo centre here April 13, 2008.
While Behera surrendered in Bhopal April 22 the same year, Acharya, who faces several cases of extortion, murder and kidnapping, surrendered to police in Goa in May.’I am happy,’ Das’s widow Geetanjali said after hearing the verdict.Defence lawyer Swadesh Das said Acharya and Behera will appeal the sentence in the high court.
