16 April 2018 :
A Gunupur court in Odisha awarded capital punishment to nine men convicted of murdering three persons of a family in Gunupur in 2016.
The Court of Additional District Judge (ADJ) sentenced Ajanta Sabara, Bubhuna Sabara, Maluku Sabara, Podantu Sabara, Iru Sabara, Lakia Sabara, Degun Sabara, Dasanta Sabara and Dalsa Sabara to death by hanging for the heinous crime that occurred on September 9, 2016 in Rayagada district.
“Adjudicating the murder case, ADJ Subhendu Kumar Pati awarded death sentence to nine persons in the sensational Gunupur triple murder case,” a counsel said.
The court had earlier held ten persons, including a minor, guilty in the case. They had killed three persons of a family – Asim Sabara, his wife Ambae and their elder daughter Ashamani – at Kitunga village under Gunupur block in the district over suspicion of practising sorcery.
They dumped the bodies at a nearby forest after committing the crime and later unearthed and burnt those in a bid to eliminate evidence.