A Mumbai court on Tuesday sentenced Chintan Upadhyay, husband of deceased artist Hema Upadhyay and three others, to life imprisonment for the murder of his artist wife and her lawyer’s murder in 2015. This comes after the court last week found the convict guilty of conspiring to kill his estranged wife and her lawyer Haresh Bhambhani.
Three other accused who were found guilty are – Vijay Rajbhar, Pradeep Rajbhar and Shivkumar Rajbhar, were also convicted of murder under Indian Penal Code section 302 and other relevant offences.
A brief timeline of the infamous double murder case:
December 12, 2015: The bodies of famous artist Hema Upadhyay and her lawyer Haresh Bhambhani were found in a nullah in Kandivli stuffed in a box by the police.
December 22, 2015: Prime suspect Chintan Upadhyay was arrested by Mumbai Police following which the accused filed bail pleas repeatedly in the matter. Other accused Shiv Kumar, Pradip Kumar, Vijay Kumar and Azad were also arrested.
March 2016: Mumbai Police submitted a 1,658-page charge sheet in the case which alleged that it was upon Upadhyay’s instructions that Hema and Bhambani were murdered by metal fabrication artist Vidyadhar Rajbhar.
December 2018: Prime accused Upadhyay moved Supreme Court (SC) for bail after his applications were rejected by magistrate sessions and the Bombay High Court.
February 2019: Maharashtra state submitted an affidavit that opposed the bail plea for Chintan Upadhyay but assured the trial would be concluded within nine months.
August 2019: The trial in the case commenced against Hema’s estranged husband Chintan along with Pradeep Rajbhar, Shivkumar Rajbhar and Vijay Rajbhar. The first witness in the Hema Upadhyay double murder case was examined.
September 2021: The Supreme Court granted Upadhyay bail six years after the murder.
October 5, 2023: A sessions court in Mumbai held Chintan Upadhyay guilty of conspiring to kill his estranged wife Hema Upadhyay and her lawyer Haresh Bhambhani, and abetting their murder.
October 10, 2023: Chintan Upadhyay, husband of deceased Mumbai artist Hema Upadhyay and three others have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the artist and her lawyer’s murder.
Upadhyay was held guilty under IPC sections 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) and 109 (abetment). Following the conviction, Chintan Upadhyay, who was out on bail, was sent into judicial custody till Saturday.
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