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Hoshiarpur boy’s killers to be hanged on Oct 5
Sanjeev Singh Bariana/TNS

case file February 14, 2005: Jasbir Singh and Vikram Walia kidnap Abhi Verma (pic) alias Harry, a Class IX student of Hoshiarpur’s DAV School Jasbir’s wife, Sonia — who was Abhi’s tutor — was also part of the conspiracy Abhi was on his way to school when the accused offered him a lift in their car and kidnapped him They demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh from Abhi’s family Abhi’s body was found about 20 km from Hoshiarpur the next day

Chandigarh, September 14
Hoshiarpur District and Sessions Judge GK Dheer has ordered issuance of death warrants of Jasbir Singh and Vikram Walia, convicted of kidnapping and murdering 16-year-old Abhi Verma alias Harry, the son of a jeweller, in Hoshiarpur in 2005.

The court has ordered that the death penalty be executed on October 5 at 9 am in a Patiala jail where the convicted are currently lodged. Jasbir Singh’s wife, Sonia will serve a life term.

The order follows filing of an application by advocate Maninder Pal, who represents Abhi’s father Ravi Verma. Maninder Pal said, “The death penalty was confirmed by the Supreme Court in January 2010. However, the sentence was not carried out, forcing us to approach the court again. We had argued that death penalty had not been stayed at any level and should be carried out.” The advocate said, “All three were given death sentence by the Sessions Court in December 2006. This was upheld by the High Court in May 2008, following which the accused had approached the Supreme Court. The SC upheld the death sentence for Jasbir Singh and Vikram Walia, while Sonia’s sentence was commuted to a life term.”

Expressing satisfaction over the court order, Abhi’s father Ravi Verma said, “Justice has finally been delivered. We remember every moment. The order has come as a warning to criminals that the long arm of law would catch up with them one day. We are satisfied with the fact that justice has not been denied in this case.”

(Inputs from Varinder Singh in Hoshiarpur)