MEERUT, July 2 -- A court in Muzaffarnagar district has sentenced five men to life imprisonment for the murder of a former village head, Mangeram, who was shot dead and set ablaze in a field in Aharoda village in 2021. The verdict was delivered on Monday by additional district and sessions judge Rekha Singh (Court No. 6), who also imposed a fine of Rs.40,000 on each convict. The incident occurred on July 15, 2021, in Aharoda village under the jurisdiction of Jansath police station in Muzaffarnagar. Mangeram, who had previously served as the village pradhan, was working in his field when he was shot dead and his body was later set afire by the accused. The convicted individuals include Vijaypal, son of Jabarsingh; Nish alias Ajit and Ankur, both sons of Vijaypal; Govinda, son of Ajaypal, all residents of Aharoda village; and Saurabh, a resident of Dhansari village under Kakaroli police station area. The court found them guilty under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), and 506 (criminal intimidation). In addition to the life sentences, each convict was fined Rs.40,000, district government counsel Rajeev Sharma confirmed. "Investigations revealed that the murder was a calculated act of revenge rooted in a decades-old enmity. Several years ago, Mangeram had allegedly been involved in the killing of Jabarsingh, the grandfather of some of the accused. The 2021 attack was orchestrated to settle the scores. Mangeram's son, Yudhveer, had lodged a complaint with police, prompting a swift investigation. The police arrested the accused and submitted a charge sheet, which formed the basis of the prosecution's case," additional district government counsel (ADGC) Kamal Kumar said. During the trial, government counsels presented evidence and witness testimonies. The defence also put forth its arguments, but the court concluded that the accused were "guilty beyond reasonable doubt". "On the basis of the evidence available on record, the court on Monday sentenced all five to life imprisonment. They had earlier managed to secure bail. Following court orders, they were taken into custody and sent to jail," the ADGC said....