LUCKNOW: A Bahraich court on Thursday awarded life imprisonment to nine convicts and handed the death penalty to the prime accused, Sarfaraz alias Rinku, in the sensational Ram Gopal Mishra murder case that took place during communal violence over the immersion of Durga idols last year. The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge (First) Pawan Kumar Sharma.

Those convicted include Abdul Hameed, Faheem, Saif Ali, Javed Khan, Zeeshan alias Raja alias Sahir, Nankau, Maruf Ali, Shoaib Khan, Talib alias Sablu, and Sarfaraz alias Rinku. Except for Sarfaraz, all received life terms under BNS sections 103(2) (murder), 191(2) (rioting), 191(3) (rioting with armed weapons), the Arms Act, and other charges. The court also acquitted Afzal, Shakeel, and Khurshid for lack of evidence.

On October 13, 2024, communal tensions had escalated in Bahraich after Mishra, a devotee participating in a Durga idol immersion procession, was shot dead. Police said he had allegedly climbed the terrace of a house belonging to members of the minority community and attempted to replace a flag with a saffron one.

In its order, the court observed that the crime triggered widespread panic, disrupted essential services, and created a curfew-like situation. It noted that Mishra’s wife, married only in June 2024, “lost her husband within four months of her marriage,” describing the incident as a lifelong tragedy for the family.

The court listed several aggravating factors: the killing was extremely cruel, sadistic, and shocking to society’s conscience. It said the act was committed as a show of dominance, targeting an unarmed man. Sarfaraz, who fired the gun, was termed a continuing threat to society, having later attacked police as well. The murder was described as cold-blooded, premeditated, and part of an unlawful assembly that caused widespread unrest.