Team Goemkarponn
MARGAO: The South Goa Sessions Court has sentenced two Jharkhand natives to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of murdering Edison Sorang, a 21-year-old man, in Raia.
Additional Sessions Judge Sudhir Shirgaonkar imposed the sentence on Pradeep Dungdung and Anand Xaxa, who were previously convicted of the offence of murder.
While delivering the order on sentence, the court observed that the assault was exceptionally violent and involved multiple injuries, making it a serious crime deserving the highest punishment available under law other than the death penalty. At the same time, the court held that the matter did not meet the legal threshold for classification as a “rarest of rare” case.
The judge noted that the victim had suffered 22 injuries, including fatal wounds to the head, and said the circumstances of the attack reflected a high degree of cruelty. The court also took into account that the victim was only 21 years old.
According to the prosecution’s case, the violence broke out after a dispute linked to comments allegedly made about the victim’s girlfriend, which escalated into a fatal assault.
During the sentencing proceedings, Public Prosecutor U. Avde argued that the nature of the attack and the large number of injuries justified the imposition of the maximum sentence. He submitted that a stringent punishment would not only reflect the gravity of the offence but also serve as a deterrent against similar crimes.
After considering the submissions and the circumstances of the case, the court directed that both convicts undergo imprisonment for life.
