MITHI: Advocate Veerji Kohli, a known human rights activist, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Tharparkar district and sessions court in a murder case on Saturday.

Kohli, the chairman of the Berano union council of Tharparkar, belongs to the Pakistan Peoples Party. He was nominated as the prime suspect in the murder of Mohammed Sualeh Shoro, who was killed in Bhansar village of Nagarparkar in March 2011.

The FIR of the murder was registered at the Nagarparkar police station on March 10, 2011 against Kohli and 13 other accomplices allegedly involved in a land dispute with the victim. Twelve of the co-accused were sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

The verdict was pronounced on Saturday by Tharparkar district and sessions judge at Mithi Mohammad Bux Bhangwar. He acquitted Mubarak Kharik for want of evidence and ordered his release.

All the convicts were sent to the Hyderabad Central Prison to serve out their terms.

A large number of rights activists and advocate Kohli’s professional fellows were present at the court when the verdict was announced. Advocate Kohli said he would challenge the verdict in the high court.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2017