Rocky Yadav convicted for road rage murder

A local court in Bihar convicted Rakesh Ranjan alias Rocky Yadav, son of former JD(U) MLC Manorama Devi, of the murder of a 19-year-old in a road rage case 15 months ago, a crime that had sparked widespread outrage. The state’s ruling party had suspended Manorama after the crime. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on September 6.

The court also convicted Rocky’s criminal-turned-politician father Bindi Yadav and two others for their role in the murder of Aditya Sachdeva who had been shot dead for allegedly overtaking their SUV in the state’s Gaya district on May 7 last year. Bindi was also an influential businessman.

The two others convicted by Gaya’s Additional District And Sessions Judge (ADJ) Sachchidanand Singh include Rocky’s cousin Teni Yadav and Manorama’s bodyguard Rajesh Kumar.

Aditya’s parents, who ran from pillar to post seeking justice for their murdered son, said that the law had finally taken its course. “We thank the judiciary. Now we want the maximum punishment to my son’s murderers,” Aditya’s mother Chand Sachdeva said.  

Aditya and three of his friends were returning home when they overtook an SUV being driven by Rocky. Both groups indulged in a verbal altercation, following which Rocky pulled out his Beretta pistol and shot at the car’s rear windshield where Aditya was seated. He was fatally wounded and died at a local hospital.

Following a public uproar over reports of the police dilly-dallying the investigation and the government going “soft” on the accused, the state government put the case on speedy trial and the chargesheet was filed within a month of the incident.