Andhra Pradesh: Ongole court pronounces capital punishment for 12 members of highway killer gang

The Prakasam District 8th Additional Sessions Court in Ongole on Monday served death penalty to 12 convicts of the highway murders cases of 2008-09, including the gang leader Munna.

Seven others have been convicted with imprisonment for life or seven years.

A gang lead by Abdul Sammad alias Munna, would kill drivers and cleaners of lorries with heavy loads on the highway, and then break those lorries into scrap, to sell that scrap further.

The notorious gang had killed 13 persons, later he was arrested.

The hearing of four of the cases, in which 6 were murdered, has been completed, and the verdict has been pronounced on Monday.

Speaking to media, Ongole District Court Public Prosecutor, Sivaramakrishna Prasad said, "Judge G Manohar Reddy has pronounced the verdict in some cases on Munna gang. Abdul Samad alias Munna had formed a gang in 2008. They used to assemble at hotels near Ongole bus stand, and discuss how to earn money. They then planned to steal lorries coming from other states, kill the driver and cleaner, and sell the lorries and cash them."

"The gang had put their plan into action during 2008-09. They would wear police uniforms to stop lorries on the highway and to get the driver and cleaner out of the lorry on the pretext of checking documents," Prasad said.

He said, the gang would then call them near their car for 'verification of papers', where they would tie a noose around their necks to kill them. Four such cases came to light before Munna was arrested for killing a driver and cleaner of a lorry from Tamil Nadu.

During the investigation, Munna had admitted committing the crime in other cases in a confession statement, the prosecutor said.

Today, the judgment for three cases of six murders, and one case of possession of weapons illegally was given.

The then police officer DSP investigation, Damodar, had revealed that all those lorries went missing between Bodavada and Tangutur. After Damodar's transfer, CI Sankar Reddy continued the investigation in which two other cases were detected.

"After proper investigation and with proper pieces of evidence, the punishments are finalized. Arguments completed on April 12, and the accused were convicted on May 18. Hearing for the quantum of sentence was held on May 20, and today, on May 24, the sentence has been pronounced," the prosecutor said.

"The court has pronounced death punishment for 12 of the convicts, while 7 others are punished with an imprisonment for life or seven years", he added.

( With inputs from ANI )