Court sentences man to life for murder

By Sumesh Rajan | April 29, 2025

 

New Delhi, India — April 28, 2025: A Delhi court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his colleague in August 2019, driven by suspicion of an alleged extramarital affair between the victim and the convict’s wife.

 

Naushad Alam, the accused, was found guilty of murdering Shakeel Ahmed at a factory in the Rajouri Garden industrial area during the night of August 5-6, 2019. According to the verdict by Principal District and Sessions Judge (West) Vinod Kumar, Alam inflicted multiple fatal injuries on Ahmed using a blunt object, and attempted to disguise the murder as an accidental death by electrocution.

 

The court also sentenced Alam to one additional year of imprisonment for tampering with evidence, having tried to alter the crime scene to mislead investigators.

 

Strong Evidence Led to Conviction

The conviction was based on circumstantial evidence and eyewitness testimony, particularly from factory owner Sumit Arora, who confirmed Alam’s presence at the scene before the death. Forensic findings and autopsy reports revealed that the cause of death was not consistent with electrocution but rather with intentional blunt force trauma.

Rejecting the defense’s argument of investigative flaws — such as missing CCTV footage and inconsistencies — the court concluded that the chain of events and evidence was complete and compelling. The judge emphasized that Alam failed to explain the circumstances of Ahmed’s death, despite being the last person seen with him.

Motive Rejected but Irrelevant

Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar Shrivastava argued that Alam’s suspicion of a romantic affair was a strong motive for the crime. However, Judge Kumar rejected this as the sole driving factor, noting, “The absence of clear motive does not weaken a case where the evidence proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Court Declines Death Penalty

Although the murder was premeditated and violent, the court did not consider it a ‘rarest of rare’ case and chose not to impose the death penalty. Instead, Alam was sentenced under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for murder and Section 201 IPC for destruction of evidence.

Background

The crime occurred in the Punjabi Bagh Police Station jurisdiction and was registered in 2019. Alam and Ahmed were co-workers at the same factory. The murder shocked the local industrial community and drew media attention due to its motive and the gruesome attempt to cover it up.

This case underscores how personal suspicion, when left unchecked, can escalate into deadly violence, raising broader questions about emotional impulse crimes and workplace-related homicides. It also reinforces the Indian judiciary’s stance on delivering life sentences in cases where the death penalty is deemed excessive.