Patna: School teacher Rupam Pathak was on Tuesday sentenced to life by a CBI court in Bihar after it held her guilty of killing a BJP MLA, who was stabbed in full public view at his Purnia home in January last year.
"Rupam Pathak is being sentenced to life for killing the BJP MLA Raj Kishore Keshari," Standing CBI counsel AH Khan said quoting the order of designated CBI Judge BN Singh.
The judge had pronounced Rupam guilty of stabbing Rajkishore Keshri to death in Purnia town on January 4, 2011.
According to Khan, Singh in his order said "the learned CBI court analysed the evidences adduced by the prosecution and the defence and has come to the conclusion that the prosecution has proved the charge under section 302 IPC(murder) beyond reasonable doubt against Rupam Pathak."
Soon after the murder of Keshri, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had recommended a CBI probe into the killing.
On April 2, 2011, CBI had filed the charge sheet against Pathak under Indian Penal Code's section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder carrying a maximum punishment of life imprisonment), which was later objected and opposed by the prosecution which presented witnesses to prove that Keshari was stabbed to death by Pathak at his Purnia residence when he was meeting people.
Rupam's mother Kumud Mishra said her family had full faith in judiciary and would challenge the life sentence.
Several women's organisations including AIPWA led by its general secretary Meena Tiwari and state president Saroj Dubey brought out a protest march in Darbhanga against the order of the CBI court.
"We want justice for Rupam and her allegations of being subjected to physical assault by the BJP MLA and his aide be probed thoroughly by CBI," Tiwari said.
Pathak had stabbed Keshri at his house in Sipahi Tola in January 2011 after smuggling a kitchen knife into a janta darbar at his residence.
Keshri, who had just been re-elected for the fourth time, died minutes after Rupam attacked him. She was in turn assaulted by people at the darbar.
Way back in June 2010, Rupam filed a police case accusing Keshri of raping her in 2007. She later retracted that statement in court.
In September 2010, she went back to court declaring she had withdrawn her case against Keshri claiming she was under pressure from her in-laws and other people. Four months later she stabbed an unsuspecting Keshri.
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