A Muzaffarpur courtroom delivered a powerful statement on judicial perseverance, handing down life terms to five men in a 1991 murder tied to a fierce land dispute. The case, originating from Sivarahan Chaturbhuj village under Ahiyapur thana, saw Additional District Judge-5 Alok Kumar Pandey convict the accused after exhaustive proceedings.
On that fateful morning of August 9, 1991, Baidyanath Rai and his armed accomplices descended on Mohan Rai’s field with a tractor in tow. Protests led to shocking brutality: Mohan’s mother, Basanti Devi, was thrashed and lashed to a tree. Kunwar Rai, her brother, arrived to intervene but was met with gunfire from Baidyanath—three bullets to the chest.
As Kunwar writhed in agony, the attackers fractured his arm before his death on-site, sending shockwaves through the community. The FIR, based on Mohan Rai’s account, listed 13 accused. Today, five—Baidyanath Rai, Rambalam Rai, Mahanth Rai, Ramchandra Paswan, and Sahdev Rai—face life imprisonment and Rs 50,000 fines, with extra jail time for non-payment.
Prosecutor Sunil Kumar Pandey’s evidence, including key witnesses, proved decisive. The family, enduring over three decades of trials, celebrated the outcome as true vindication. ‘This is more than a sentence; it’s the restoration of our dignity,’ a relative shared.
The verdict serves as a deterrent, reminding rural Bihar that land greed cannot eclipse the scales of justice.