INDIA. TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR UNION LEADER MURDER

the Jharkhand High Court, India, sentenced Shiv Shankar Singh and Umesh Singh to death in connection with the murder of trade union leader Gurudas Chatterjee on April 14, 2000.
The two convicts, together with Narmadeshwar Singh, Nuren Master and Vijay Singh, had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a lower court for their involvement in the case. They then appealed to the High Court. Justice R.K. Marathia and Justice Harishankar Prasad acquitted Narmadeshwar, Nuren and Vijay for want of evidence against them but sentenced the other two to death. This was the first case in which the death penalty had been handed down by the Jharkhand High Court.
It was alleged that Shankar and Umesh had shot at Chatterjee at point-blank range from their car whilst the victim was on his way to Dhanbad. Chatterjee died on the spot.