Ganderbal, September 30 (Daily Kiran) : In a significant ruling on September 30, 2026, the Additional District and Sessions Judge Fozia Paul found Mohammad Shafi Magray guilty of murder in a case dating back to 2018. The court convicted him under sections 302, 379, and 201 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) but acquitted him of kidnapping charges under section 364.
The verdict was delivered in the case of the State (Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir) vs. Mohammad Shafi Magray, which stemmed from FIR No. 33/2018 registered at the Kheerbhawani police station.
Magray, a resident of Chundina in Ganderbal, was implicated in the death of Mohammad Yusuf Khandey. Khandey went missing on May 31, 2018, after visiting a Jammu and Kashmir Bank branch in Chundina to withdraw money. His body was found on June 2, 2018, in fields near Shalabug/Batgund.
The investigation was led by then-station house officer Arshid Selfi, relying heavily on circumstantial evidence due to the absence of eyewitnesses. The court referenced medical evidence indicating that Khandey had suffered a fracture to the back of his skull and had a significant amount of extradural hematoma. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head.
The court also highlighted a financial obligation of ₹50,000 between the accused and the victim as crucial circumstantial evidence. A document confirming this debt, along with handwriting analysis linking it to Magray, was presented in court. While this evidence was considered significant, it was not deemed conclusive proof of the crime.
Further, the prosecution pointed to the use of Khandey’s ATM card as a key piece of evidence. Bank records showed a transaction of ₹4,000 at a petrol station shortly after Khandey’s disappearance. Fayaz Ahmad Dar, a witness who knew the accused prior to the incident, testified that Magray used Khandey’s card to withdraw cash.
Additionally, Khandey’s ATM card and ₹11,700 in cash were later recovered from a room in Magray’s house, corroborating the prosecution’s claims. Despite this, the court did not accept disputed CCTV footage and fingerprint evidence as part of the main chain of incriminating evidence.
Ultimately, the court concluded that the prosecution had established Magray’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The circumstances surrounding the use of the ATM card, the witness testimony, and the medical evidence collectively supported the conviction for murder and related charges.
However, the court acquitted Magray of the kidnapping charge, stating that no witness had confirmed claims of coercion or deception in the alleged abduction of Khandey. The prosecution’s case on this point was deemed insufficient.
Following his conviction for murder, theft, and evidence tampering, Magray has been ordered to remain in judicial custody. A separate hearing will be scheduled to determine the sentence, allowing both the prosecution and defense to present arguments regarding aggravating and mitigating circumstances.
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