Latest news with #TataSumo
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
Serial killer, cannibal, skull collector Raja Kolander, aide get life in 25-yr-old double murder case
1 2 Lucknow: A court in Lucknow on Friday sentenced the notorious serial killer, cannibal and skull collector, Raja Kolander , and his accomplice Bachhraj Kol to life imprisonment for the abduction and murder of 22-year-old Manoj Kumar Singh and his driver Ravi Srivastava in Lucknow's Naka area 25 years ago. The court of Special Judge Rohit Singh found the duo guilty under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 364 (kidnapping), 394 (dacoity with murder), 201 (destruction of evidence), and 412 (receiving stolen property during dacoity). The duo has also been fined Rs 2.5 lakh each, part of which will be paid as compensation to the victims' families. Govt counsel MK Singh, who represented the prosecution, said that delivering the judgment, Special Judge Rohit Singh ruled that both convicts were guilty of acting in concert with co-accused in a "professionally executed and organised criminal conspiracy" with the intention to loot and eliminate the victims. The court found that the accused abducted the victims along with their Tata Sumo vehicle, looted them, and subsequently murdered them in a cruel manner. The bodies were then dumped in the forests of Allahabad to prevent identification, with the intention of destroying evidence. While the prosecution, led by Singh, strongly argued for the death penalty, citing the gruesome nature of the murders and the convicts' history of organised criminal activity, the court held that the case, though heinous, did not fall under the "rarest of rare" category warranting capital punishment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo The judge instead awarded life sentences. The defence argued that Raja Kolander is now an aged person and cooperated during the trial. For Bachhraj, it was pleaded that he was a juvenile at the time of the crime and came from an impoverished background. However, the court rejected these pleas for leniency, asserting that the nature and planning of the crime left no room for sympathy. "These are not ordinary individuals," the judge observed, calling them "undoubtedly dangerous and audacious". The court directed that 80% of the fine amount from each convict be disbursed as compensation to the families of the two victims — Manoj Kumar Singh and Ravi Srivastava. The compensation will be facilitated by the district magistrate after due verification. The remaining 20% of the fine will go to the state govt to cover legal expenses. Kolander and Bachhraj were earlier convicted of the cold-blooded murder of journalist Dhirendra Singh in Nov 2012. The victim was lured, shot dead, mutilated, and buried. An Allahabad court sentenced both to life imprisonment after 14 human skulls were recovered from Kolander's farmhouse. In the 2000 double murder case, police filed the chargesheet on March 21, 2001. Raja Kolander alias Ram Niranjan, Bachhraj Kol, Adalat Singh Kol, Phoolan Devi, Dilip Gupta, and Daddan Singh were named in the chargesheet. Due to various legal delays, the trial began only in May 2013. During the proceedings, the case of co-accused Adalat Singh and Phoolan Devi was separated in 2001, and Dilip Gupta's case was also separated due to his absence. Daddan Singh died during the trial in 2017, resulting in the abatement of proceedings against him, Singh added. "We examined 12 witnesses, including complainant Shiv Shankar Singh, who provided critical details about the last known movements of the victims and the suspicious passengers. The evidence pointed to a premeditated crime involving kidnapping, robbery, and murder," said the govt counsel. The case dates back to 2000, when Manoj Kumar Singh, son of complainant Shiv Harsh Singh, left Lucknow for Rewa (Madhya Pradesh) in his car along with his driver Ravi Srivastava. They picked up six passengers, including a woman, from Lucknow's Charbagh railway station area on January 24, 2000. The last known location of the vehicle was in Harchandpur (Rae Bareli), where they stopped for tea. Shiv Harsh Singh's brother, Shiv Shankar Singh, testified that he and his brother spoke to the duo during the stop and noticed that one of the passengers appeared ill. The vehicle and its occupants were never seen again, said the police. Three days later, when the victims and the vehicle did not return, a missing report was filed at Naka police station. Subsequently, the mutilated bodies of Manoj and Ravi were found in the Shankargarh forest area in Allahabad, and a post-mortem confirmed murder. Who is Raja Kolander? Raja Kolander, born Ram Niranjan Kol, was a resident of eastern Uttar Pradesh. He hailed from the scheduled Kol tribe and was known to have an unusual personality that kept him on the fringes of society. Infamous for his macabre crimes and alleged cannibalism, he was once employed at an ordnance factory in UP. He believed himself to be a king who could punish anyone he disliked. His bizarre worldview made him name his wife Phoolan Devi and his sons Adalat and Zamanat. Kolander was convicted of multiple murders, including that of journalist Dhirendra Singh. Police recovered human skulls from his farmhouse, leading to chilling allegations of cannibalism. Psychiatrists described him as a psychopath, though courts declared him mentally fit to stand trial. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
News18
24-05-2025
- News18
UP's 'Mindhunter' Gets Second Life Sentence: Serial Killer Ate Brains To 'Steal Intelligence'
Last Updated: UP police officials said Ram Niranjan was known for beheading his victims, preserving the skulls, and consuming the brains in the belief that it would enhance his own intellect He didn't just want a piece of your mind but the whole thing. A serial killer from Uttar Pradesh who ate human brains to 'steal intelligence" has been sentenced to life a second time. Officially classified as a 'rarest of rare" case and counted among India's most heinous crimes, the chilling saga of Ram Niranjan, alias Raja Kolander, resurfaced on Friday as a Lucknow court sentenced him to life in a 25-year-old double murder case. UP police officials who handled the 25-year-old case said Niranjan was known for beheading his victims, preserving human skulls, and allegedly consuming the brains in the belief that it would enhance his own power and intellect. 'Most horrifying crime in UP's criminal history' The Additional District and Sessions Court also sentenced Kolander's brother-in-law, Vakshraj, to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh on each. Both were found guilty earlier this week for the abduction and brutal murder of 22-year-old Manoj Kumar Singh of Raebareli and his driver, Ravi Srivastava, in January 2000. Kolander, already serving a life term in another murder case, had first come under the national spotlight in 2000 after the beheaded body of journalist Dhirendra Singh was found in Prayagraj. The probe into that murder would later unearth a macabre trail of killings, cannibalism, and mutilation—crimes that investigators and courts alike described as some of the most cold-blooded and horrifying ever recorded in Uttar Pradesh's criminal history. The murders from 2000 that triggered a dark legacy The latest verdict relates to the kidnapping and murder of Manoj Singh and Ravi Srivastava, who were last seen on January 24, 2000, after leaving Lucknow for Rewa in a hired Tata Sumo. They were believed to have picked up Kolander's wife, Phoolan Devi, as a passenger from Charbagh railway station. When they failed to return, Singh's family filed a missing persons report at Naka Hindola police station. Several days later, their naked, dismembered bodies were found in the forests near Shankargarh in Prayagraj district. Though the chargesheet was filed in 2001, the case languished for years, and the trial did not begin until 2013. Investigators only found significant leads when probing the murder of journalist Dhirendra Singh months later—an entirely different case that ultimately blew the lid off Kolander's horrific crimes. Murder of journalist unravels serial killer Dhirendra Singh's decapitated body was found in December 2000 in a village bordering Madhya Pradesh. Singh's brother, a police officer, suspected foul play and pointed the investigation towards Kolander. During a raid at Kolander's farmhouse in Pipri, police unearthed a nightmarish scene: human skulls preserved in containers, a diary documenting at least 14 murders, and personal belongings of the missing victims—including Manoj Singh's coat and the Tata Sumo he had driven. The vehicle had since been repainted and carried a sticker that read 'Phoolan Devi". Kolander confessed to using his wife to lure Manoj Singh under the pretext of a medical emergency, offering Rs 1,500 for the ride. They were taken to his Shankargarh farmhouse, where they were allegedly shot, stripped, mutilated, and buried in the forest. A mind twisted by delusion and rituals Kolander, a former Central Ordnance Depot employee, projected himself as a feudal king. He named his children 'Adalat" (court), 'Jamanat" (bail), and 'Andolan" (protest), and used his influence in local politics through his wife, who served as a district panchayat member. But behind the facade lay a man consumed by bloodlust and dark beliefs. He admitted to murdering a colleague, Kali Prasad Srivastava, and consuming his brain, believing that Kayasthas had sharp minds and he could absorb their intellect by eating their brains. When interrogated, he spoke in detail of how he shot victims beside a bonfire, dismembered their bodies, and disposed of remains in different locations. His diary reportedly listed names of other victims: Ashok Kumar, Moin, and Santosh—all of whom went missing over the years. First conviction in 2012 In 2012, the Allahabad High Court convicted Kolander and Vakshraj in the Dhirendra Singh case. The court ruled it as a 'rarest of the rare" crime due to its premeditation, grotesque execution, and the psychological terror it invoked. Singh was murdered to prevent his brother from pursuing a police complaint against Kolander. In court, Kolander often claimed he was innocent and a victim of a political vendetta. However, the weight of forensic evidence, including skulls recovered in the presence of police and local villagers, destroyed any vestiges of his defence. In the recent case, the court found the evidence, including the recovery of the Tata Sumo, Singh's clothing, and forensic links to the murders, overwhelming. Judge Rohit Singh sentenced Kolander and Vakshraj to life imprisonment, bringing some closure to the victims' families after a 25-year-long wait. Both convicts are currently lodged at Unnao District Jail and will continue to serve their terms concurrently. Story that shocked the nation top videos View all Kolander's story shocked not only India but also people across the globe. His crimes became the subject of Netflix's 'Indian Predator: The Diary of a Serial Killer", which examined the psychological depths of his violence and the ritualistic horror behind his murders. As the Lucknow court's verdict reverberates across the state, it reopens chilling memories of a case that combined superstition, power, blood, and madness. Twenty-five years may have passed, but observers say justice—though delayed—has not been denied. First Published: May 24, 2025, 07:00 IST
The Hindu
27-04-2025
- The Hindu
Man gets 10-year RI for smuggling ganja
The Kasaragod Additional District and Sessions Court (II) has sentenced K.A. Nawas, 44, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh for smuggling 52 kg of ganja in a specially modified jeep. In case of non-payment of the fine, Nawas will have to serve an additional three months in prison. The verdict was pronounced by Judge K. Priya. The case pertains to a seizure made on May 13, 2013, around 8 p.m., at Chengala Bayvincha, where Nawas was caught transporting ganja concealed in a hidden compartment of a Tata Sumo. The operation was led by then Kasaragod Inspector and now Kasaragod Sub-Division DySP C.K. Sunilkumar, along with his team, who seized the contraband and arrested the accused. Additional Government Pleader G. Chandramohan and advocate Chitrakala represented the prosecution during the trial. Meanwhile, two other accused in the case remain absconding. The officials said that Nawas is also an accused in another similar narcotics case, which is currently under trial.
