Two get life term for murder of FCI officer’s wife in Chinhat

Lucknow: A special court in Lucknow on Monday sentenced two men, Arjun Soni and Virendra Kumar Yadav, to life imprisonment for the sensational daylight murder of Anamika Singh, the wife of an FCI officer, in the Chinhat area in May 2023.Special Judge (PC Act Court No. 8) Neeraj Kumar Baranwal found both accused guilty under multiple sections of the IPC related to murder and criminal conspiracy. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each convict. The court also awarded additional concurrent sentences: life imprisonment under Section 394/120-B IPC (robbery with conspiracy) with a fine of Rs 3,000; 10 years' rigorous imprisonment under Sections 449/120-B and 467/120-B IPC (house trespass and forgery) with fines of Rs 3,000 each; five years' imprisonment under Sections 420/120-B and 468/120-B IPC (cheating and forgery) with fines; three years' imprisonment under Section 419/120-B IPC (impersonation); and two years' imprisonment under Section 471/120-B IPC (using forged documents). Virendra Kumar Yadav received an additional 3-year term under the Arms Act along with a fine of Rs 2,000. All sentences will run concurrently, and the period spent in jail during the trial will be adjusted against their total sentence, said the victim's lawyer, Ashish Kumar Jain. Anamika Singh, 35, the wife of Adarsh Kumar Singh, a Grade-III officer with the Food Corporation of India (FCI), was stabbed to death at her home in the Chinhat police station area on May 19, 2023. The investigations, conducted by Additional DCP Syed Ali Abbas, revealed that the main accused, Arjun Soni, who lived on the top floor of the victim's house with his wife and children, hatched a robbery plan with his associate Virendra Yadav, posing as a telecom service agent. The duo gained entry to the house under the pretext of repairing a modem and attacked Anamika when she resisted. Police cracked the case after recovering a telecom company visiting card from the scene, which led them to the conspirators. Arjun confessed to the crime, revealing that financial desperation drove him to plan the robbery as they had information that a lot of cash and jewellery was inside the house. Anamika used to live alone with her child as her husband was employed outside Lucknow.