NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment, 12 years after he shot dead a sweets vendor for refusing to serve him ‘jalebis’ ahead of other customers waiting in a queue.The incident took place on February 18, 2014, at a sweet shop near Bangla Sahib Gurudwara. According to the prosecution, when the vendor refused to let him skip the queue, the man slapped him, took out a pistol and fired at his head from close range.Additional sessions judge Dhirendra Rana was hearing arguments on the sentence of Neeraj, who was convicted earlier this month under IPC Section 302 (murder) and the Arms Act for unauthorised use of firearms.In an order dated June 8, the judge said, “Perusal of the record narrates that the convict entered into a quarrel with the deceased as he wanted that jalebis would be given to him before other customers, who were standing in the queue.“When the deceased (vendor) refused the same, the convict slapped him and took out a pistol and fired a gunshot from close range on the head of the deceased,” he added.The judge noted that the vendor was taken to a hospital, where he died, and that Neeraj was apprehended near the spot. A fake arms licence was also recovered from him.“I have considered the mitigating circumstances involved in this case. Convict is not involved in any other case. He remained in custody throughout the trial. He is not a threat to society, and there are chances of his reformation,” the judge said.He further said, “Therefore, the present case is not covered under the category of rarest of rare cases. Convict has been facing a protracted trial since 2014 and has a family containing his wife and two sons.”He then sentenced the convict to life imprisonment for murder.(With inputs from PTI)
