India

Chhattisgarh Court Sentences Four Men for Murder of Police Head Constable’s Wife and Daughter

By HT Correspondent

A Fast Track Court in Surajpur district, Chhattisgarh, sentenced four men for the 2024 murder of a police head constable’s wife and his 11‑year‑old daughter. Judge Anand Prakash Wariyal convicted all four accused. Kuldeep Sahu (32), Chandrakant Chaudhary (28) and Phool Singh alias Rinku (28) received the death penalty, while Aryan Vishwakarma alias Goldy (20) was sentenced to life imprisonment. According to police, Sahu, a repeat offender, killed the 35‑year‑old woman and her daughter at their home on 13 October 2024, after sexually assaulting them. The victim had 33 injury marks and the child 28. Sahu had been ex‑terned from Surajpur by a district magistrate order but was present in the city that night. He allegedly threw hot oil at constable Ghanshyam Soni during a Durga idol immersion procession and, after being pursued, tried to run police officers over with a car. He then fled to the head constable’s house, where he attacked the wife and daughter. The bodies were later dumped at Pidha village, about four kilometres from the house. The elder brother of the head constable welcomed the verdict, saying it would help the family cope with their grief. The prosecution argued that the seriousness of the offence warranted a deterrent punishment, citing Supreme Court judgments. The four accused were arrested and tried before the Fast Track Court.