A court in Nagaland’s Kohima district has sentenced a 49-year-old man to life imprisonment for the murder of his younger brother in a case that took place in 2023. The judgment was delivered by the court of Principal District and Sessions Judge Mezivalu T. Therich after the completion of the trial.According to information from the Office of the Public Prosecutor, the convicted person, identified as Lezo Seletsu, was found guilty under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of his 33-year-old brother. The incident took place at Pfuchama village under Kohima district on June 20, 2023. During the trial, the prosecution stated that the accused had shot his brother with a firearm, causing fatal injuries. After the incident, Seletsu reportedly fled from the spot and went into hiding. Police later traced and arrested him during the investigation. The firearm believed to have been used in the crime was also recovered.
The investigation was carried out by UBS Chiwase Nyusou of Khuzama Police Station. During the court proceedings, five prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses were examined.The court, while analysing the evidence, noted that even if there had been a quarrel between the two brothers, the victim had already stepped away from the confrontation. The judge observed that the deceased was walking away when the accused went inside his house, brought out a firearm and shot him from behind.Based on this, the court rejected the argument that the accused had acted in self-defence. The judge stated that there was no immediate threat to the accused at the time of the shooting. The court further observed that firing a lethal weapon at close range at an unarmed person clearly showed the intention to cause death.
Taking into account the seriousness of the offence and the loss of life, the court sentenced Seletsu to rigorous imprisonment for life. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000. In case of failure to pay the fine, the accused will have to undergo an additional simple imprisonment of one year and six months.
