A sessions court in the Rohini Courts Complex sentenced a man to life imprisonment for staging his own death in order to escape punishment for a series of offences. The convict had killed a homeless person and then dressed the body in his own clothes. It is a unique case where the convict faced trial for his own murder, Additional Sessions Judge V K Bansal observed while sentencing Karma,hailing from Punjab. According to prosecution,Karma was facing trial in seven other cases,and there was a strong motive for him to commit the offence because the only way out was to get himself declared dead. Police said he and a co-accused,Satnam,had killed a 32-year-old vagabond sleeping on a footpath under the influence of liquor on May 21,2010. The two planted Karmas clothes on the body,complete with documents such as driving licence and voters ID in its pockets,and then burnt it. Karma then got a relative and his wife to go to the hospital and identify the body as his own. Their elaborate plan,however,was undone when Karma told his father-in-law Rajpal about the crime,trusting him to keep the secret. Rajpal,however,told police that the accused was alive and living under a fake identity. The facts emerged are repeated here again that he (Karma) killed a man,who was sleeping on footpath,put his clothes on his body,and burnt him. but his plans were spoiled by his own father-in-law,in whom he confided believing that he will also support him, the judge said in his order. The judge said it was clear that Karma had planned the murder very well,and executed it in cold blood. The court,however,acquitted co-accused Satnam,stating that the prosecution had not been able to link him with the commission of offence. There is no evidence,whatsoever,showing either Satnams presence in Delhi or his connection with Karma,it added.
