On a September night in 2016, a family home in Mehrauli turned into a crime scene: one sibling dead, others fighting for their lives, and a relationship fractured beyond repair.
Nearly a decade later, a Delhi court has brought legal closure to that night.
Pronouncing the verdict on May 16, Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvinder Singh Jaggi of the Saket courts convicted Manjit Singh, alias Manni, for killing his sister and attempting to murder his other siblings, holding him guilty under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.
Clear finding of intent
The court’s findings leave little room for ambiguity about what unfolded inside the house.
“The accused, Manjit Singh alias Manni, is convicted for the offence of murder for intentionally causing the death of Bimla Rani,” the court held.
But the violence did not end there. The judge noted that the accused turned the weapon on others in the family as well.
“The accused is convicted for the offence of attempt to murder for firing at Santokh Singh and Sumitra with the intention to cause their death.”
“The sanctity of human life has been brutally violated by the accused, who, acting in a fit of rage and deep-seated animosity, assassinated his own blood sister, Bimla, and attempted to kill his siblings, Santokh Singh and Sumitra,” the court noted.
What emerges from the judgment is not a momentary lapse, but a sequence of actions that the court found to be deliberate and sustained.
A gun inside the home
At the centre of the crime was a firearm—one that the accused was not legally allowed to possess.
“The accused is convicted for the illegal possession and use of a firearm, punishable under Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act, 1959,” the court said.
The presence of the weapon inside a domestic space, and its use against family members, added a chilling dimension to the case, turning a personal dispute into irreversible violence.
When a home becomes unsafe
What began as a family disagreement spiralled into something far more tragic. Inside a space meant for safety and familiarity, fear took over. One life was lost. Others survived, but not unchanged.
Over the years, the courtroom pieced together that night through testimonies, medical evidence, and witness accounts. Each hearing revisited the same question: how does a conflict within a family reach a point of no return?
A long wait for justice
The case moved slowly, as most criminal trials do, through filings, cross-examinations, and procedural delays. For the surviving siblings, the wait stretched across years.
With the conviction now recorded, the court has formally closed this chapter.
“All pending interim applications, if any, are dismissed,” the judgment states.
It also directed that a copy of the judgment be provided to the convict immediately.
Beyond the verdict
Judgments bring closure in law. They do not always bring closure in life.
This case leaves behind uncomfortable questions about how easily violence can erupt within families and how quickly familiar spaces can turn dangerous.
