Dhanbad, July 11: A special MP/MLA court in Dhanbad on Friday convicted 28 accused, including former Jharkhand Animal Husbandry Minister and former Dhanbad Congress MLA Mannan Mallick, in the 2011 Matkuriya firing case and sentenced each of them to three years’ imprisonment along with a fine of ₹10,000.
Special Judge Durgesh Chandra Awasthi delivered the verdict after the conclusion of a trial that lasted nearly 15 years. The case pertains to a firing incident that took place in Matkuriya on April 27, 2011.
The court sentenced all 28 convicts to three years in prison and imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on each of them.
Former MLA Mannan Mallick and his son, Huban Mallick, who appeared before the court through video conferencing citing medical treatment at a hospital in Ranchi, were taken into custody after they failed to furnish the required bond following the judgment.
Two other convicts, Sohan Bhuiya and Dharamveer Kumar Sharma, were also sent to jail after failing to submit the required bonds.
The remaining 22 convicts were granted provisional bail for 30 days to enable them to file appeals before the appropriate court against their conviction.
Meanwhile, two accused—Vinod Singh alias Pappu Singh and Ajay Kumar Rawat—did not appear before the court despite directions requiring all accused to remain physically present on the day of the verdict.
The court rejected the exemption petitions filed on their behalf, cancelled their bail bonds and ordered the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants (NBWs) against them.
The judgment brings to a close the trial in one of Dhanbad’s long-pending criminal cases, with the court pronouncing its verdict 15 years after the Matkuriya firing incident
