Life term for student leader’s killer who shot witness’ father

NEW DELHI - A Delhi court Saturday sentenced a man, already convicted for gunning down a students union leader of a Delhi University college in 1999, to rigorous imprisonment for life for also killing the father of a witness who had informed the police.

Jitender alias Kalla was served with a second punishment days after he was awarded life sentence by the court for murdering Anil Bhadana, the then Satyawati College Students Union president.

“I sentence the convict, Jitender alias Kalla, to rigorous imprisonment for the rest of his life,” Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said. He also imposed a fine of Rs.three lakh on the convict.

The court specified that the sentence in the case will run consequent to and only after the conclusion of the sentence imposed against him in the Bhadana murder case.

According to prosecution, Kalla had shot dead Bhadana, 26, with his licensed pistol at a marriage function under Keshavpuram police station March 10, 1999.

The witness, Sumit Nayyar, had informed the police about the incident.

Kalla then went to his home at Mukherjee Nagar and pumped three bullets in his father K.L. Nayyar’s chest.

The court earlier this week awarded life imprisonment to Kalla with a rider that his jail term should not be lessened till he served 30 years, terming the manner in which he killed Bhadana as “rare”. Kalla was arrested Jan 24, 2000.

He is also facing trial for fleeing from police custody in August, 2000.

The court, however, acquitted Jitender Gulati, who was accused of helping Kalla locate Sumit’s home in Mukherjee Nagar, for want of evidence.