In Lucknow, a specialized CBI court sentenced a 45-year-old graduate of IIT Kanpur and IIM Lucknow to life imprisonment for the 2008 murder of Mumbai-based fashion designer Adesh Bajpai, aged 35. Rahul Verma, who had been out on bail, was found guilty last week and taken into custody. Verma faced charges under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).
Senior public prosecutor Ashish Kumar Saxena stated, “The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 90,000 on Verma.” Verma, escorted by police from Lucknow jail, appeared in court for the sentencing. Notably, the court dropped the kidnapping charge against him.
The case, initially investigated by local authorities, was transferred to the CBI in 2010 following a directive from the Allahabad High Court. The prosecution revealed that Adesh went missing in August 2008 after meeting his cousin Vivek Trivedi in Kanpur. The last trace of Adesh was at the IIT Kanpur campus, where his remains were later discovered.
Despite initial difficulties in DNA extraction, forensic evidence eventually confirmed the identity of the remains as Adesh’s. The investigation revealed that Adesh and Rahul had connected online, leading to suspicions of their involvement.
The CBI, aided by international cooperation and advanced forensic techniques, built a case against Rahul, who was pursuing studies at IIM Lucknow. He was arrested in 2012 after further interrogation and charged accordingly.
The defence intends to appeal the court’s decision in the High Court, indicating a continuation of the legal process in this long-standing case.