Madhya Pradesh: Life Sentence Given to Man in Child Murder Case

Bhopal, Dec 13 (NationPress) On Friday, a court in Madhya Pradesh delivered its ruling on a case from November 2022 concerning the kidnapping and murder of an 11-year-old boy, imposing a life sentence on the main accused.

Pawan Sharma, the proprietor of a private school, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, while five other accomplices received sentences of seven years each.

Justice Manoj Kumar issued the verdict on Friday and also levied fines of Rs 2.5 lakh against Sharma, and Rs 1 lakh against each of the five co-accused.

The tragic incident involved the kidnapping of 11-year-old Aryan Sharma, who was abducted while playing near R.K.D. school in Bhind district in November 2022.

The school owner, Pawan Sharma, orchestrated the kidnapping for ransom, motivated by significant financial losses incurred during the coronavirus pandemic when offline classes were halted.

Sharma even recorded a video of the minor, which police later retrieved from his possession, intended for ransom demands to the boy's parents. However, he could not send the video due to unreliable Internet connectivity.

Out of fear of being caught, the accused subsequently strangled Aryan to death and disposed of the body in an attempt to eliminate evidence.

Authorities discovered the body two days later at an under-construction site, located just about 50 metres from Aryan's home in the Chandanpura area.

Six individuals, including the school owner Pawan Sharma and a local journalist who is reportedly related to him, were apprehended in connection with this case, facing charges of kidnapping, murder, and additional offenses.

This incident drew significant attention as it involved the family of Aryan, whose father, Virendra Sharma, serves as a constable with the Special Armed Force (SAF) in Chhattisgarh.