Verdict in murder case involving Soren June 15

RANCHI - The verdict in a 36-year-old double murder case involving former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren, who appeared in a fast track court Thursday, will be pronounced June 15.

The fast track court of Mohammad Qasim heard the arguments of the public prosecutor and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief’s lawyer.

The court fixed June 15 as the next date of hearing, on which judgment would be pronounced.

The verdict was scheduled to be delivered April 17. It had to be deferred when, three days before the judgment, Additional District Judge N.N. Singh, who was hearing the case, dissociated himself from it. It was then transferred to the fast track court of Mohammad Qasim.

The case is related to the April 1974 murders of two people over a dispute over the killing of two goats. Soren was accused of inciting a mob to kill Chundi Singh and Khirodhar Singh, who allegedly stole two goats and killed them in Kodko village of Giridih district.

There were total 10 accused in the case. The chargesheet against all accused, including Soren, was filed in 1978. Eight accused were acquitted in 1986 and one died during trial.

The case against Soren was pending as he failed to appear in court earlier. A warrant pending against him surfaced in 2004 and he then surrendered. He was later released on bail.