The First Additional District Court on Wednesday sentenced five men to undergo life imprisonment for murdering a 45-year-old man in 2018.
First Additional District Judge S. Nagarajan awarded the punishment to Manikandan (23) alias Poosari Mani of Sowripalayam, Anantharaj (27), Naveenkumar (24), and Sasimohan (28) of Uppilipalayam and Mohanbabu (33) of Lakshmipuram for murdering Babu, a daily wage worker from SIHS Colony, in August 2018.
The police said that the five men waylaid Babu when he was retuning from a TASMAC outlet at Neelikonampalayam along with his friend on the night of August 22.
The accused waylaid the duo and demanded money at knife-point. They stabbed Babu as he refused to give them money and picked up a quarrel. Though Babu was rushed to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, he died of stabs inflicted by the men.
The Singanallur police registered a case and arrested the five men for offences under Sections 394 read with 398, 302 and 506 (ii) of the IPC.
Tense situation prevailed in front of the court on Wednesday as family members and friends of the five men gathered to hear the judgment. The court also slapped a fine of ₹ 1,000 each on the five persons.
