On the complaint of Nafees’ wife Syeda Begum, an FIR was registered against 17 persons at the Hathgawan police station.A court in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district sentenced 12 persons to life imprisonment in connection with a murder over a dispute related to the 2009 panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh.Three brothers are among those convicted.ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEOThe court on Friday found all 12 accused guilty of offences, including murder, attempt to murder, rioting and other charges. The accused, who were on bail during the pendency of the trial, were taken into custody following the conviction.The sentencing was announced later in the day.Additional District Government Counsel Pramil Kumar Srivastava said the motive behind the offence was a dispute arising out of the panchayat elections. During the trial, the court examined 12 prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses, he said.According to the prosecution, the incident dates back to November 24, 2009, when the victim, Nafees Ahmed, along with his elder brother Shareef Seth was returning home at Pattishah village on a motorcycle. When they reached the gate of their residence, the assailants allegedly opened fire on them, causing injuries to both.On hearing the gunshots, members of the victims’ family rushed out of the house but the assailants had fled by then, it was alleged. The injured were taken to hospital, where Nafees was declared dead, while Shareef was admitted for treatment and subsequently recovered.On the complaint of Nafees’ wife Syeda Begum, an FIR was registered against 17 persons at the Hathgawan police station. Among those named in the FIR were persons with whom the victim’s family had prior enmity due to the panchayat elections. Other accused were their relatives and associates.Counsel for the complainant, M. Tariq Fareedi, submitted that Nafees was engaged in running a bakery business in Mumbai, while Shareef managed the family’s farming activities in the village. The residence of former village pradhan, Majhu Mian, was situated opposite Shareef’s house, and Shareef’s interest in contesting the pradhan election led to the emergence of disputes between the two families, he added.Story continues below this adIn 2008, Majhu Mian’s son, Riyaz Ahmed, was allegedly attacked, in which he and his driver, Shamsad, succumbed to their injuries, while Majhu Mian sustained injuries.Fareedi added that a total of 18 persons, including Shareef’s three brothers, were booked in the said case. Although Nafees Ahmed was not named as an accused therein, he was acting as a parokar (pursuing the case on behalf of the complainant). The trial in the Riyaz Ahmed murder case is still pending before the court.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd