A 29-year-old man from Kalwa has been sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday by the Thane Additional Sessions Judge M C Khadke for killing his friend.
According to sources, the accused, Raju alias Raja Rathod, and the victim, Vishal Patil, were good friends and used to drink on a daily basis. The victim used to borrow money from the accused on a regular basis.
On June 26, 2011, an argument aroused between the two over money issue after which a non-cognizable (NC) offence was registered against them.
Then on June 30, 2011, another tiff broke out between the duo over the same issue. This time Patil beat up Rathod, who then in a fit of rage picked up an axe and hit the victim on the head. Patil died on the spot.
The accused then went to the police station and confessed to his crime. The police arrested the accused immediately.
A case was registered against the accused and in the recent hearing the judge pronounced life imprisonment for the Rathod.
The judge held that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubts that the accused had committed the gruesome crime and deserved a life sentence.
Assistant public prosecutor Hemlata Deshmukh, along with advocate Akshata Kulkarni-Jere appeared for the prosecution.
The accused was charged under Section 302 of the India Penal Code (IPC).
