In a sensational blind murder case dating back nearly four years, a local court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for abducting and murdering his seven-year-old nephew and disposing of the child’s body in a canal.Additional Sessions Judge Dr Rajneesh convicted Swaran Singh, a resident of Abdulapur Basti, for the kidnapping and murder of the boy. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the accused.The case pertains to FIR No. 159 dated August 19, 2022, registered at the Model Town police station.According to the prosecution, complainant Simranjit Kaur of Abdulapur Basti reported to the police that her seven-year-old son, Sahajpreet Singh, went missing from home on the night of August 18, 2022. Despite an extensive search by the family, the child could not be traced. A missing person report was lodged with the police the next day.During the investigation, police found that the child’s paternal uncle, Swaran Singh, had taken him away on his motorcycle on the day of the incident. Acting on scientific and circumstantial evidence, the investigating team interrogated the accused. Based on the disclosure statement made by the accused, the child’s body was recovered from a canal.The prosecution alleged that the accused had strained relations with his sister-in-law and felt humiliated by her. Since Sahajpreet was the only son in the family, the accused allegedly believed that after the child’s death, the family property would eventually pass on to his own children. It was this alleged greed and personal animosity that prompted him to commit the crime.During the trial, the prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence, the recovery of the body, forensic evidence, and the testimonies of several witnesses. After evaluating all the evidence, the court held that the prosecution had successfully established the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.The accused pleaded innocence. However, after appreciating the evidence on record, the court found him guilty and sentenced him accordingly.