Priya Seth : The Tinder Murder Case

A court in Jaipur has sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment for the murder of a 28-year-old businessman, Dushyant Sharma, whom one of the accused, 27-year-old Priya Seth, met on the dating app Tinder in 2018. The convicted individuals, including Dishkant Kamra and Lakshya Walia, were found guilty of murder, criminal conspiracy, and wrongful confinement. Priya, along with her accomplices, lured Sharma to a rented accommodation, held him hostage, and demanded a Rs 10 lakh ransom.

Despite Sharma's family paying Rs 3 lakh, Priya seized his debit card, withdrew Rs 20,000, and subsequently stabbed him to death after smothering him with a pillow

. The court, noting sufficient evidence presented by the prosecution, convicted the accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, sentencing them to life imprisonment. In a disturbing confession, Priya admitted to the kidnapping and stated they realized Sharma had nothing of value after demanding the ransom.

Convicted in : The court found the trio guilty under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 302 (murder), 201 (tampering with evidence), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, handing down life imprisonment as their punishment.

342. Punishment for wrongful confinement.—Whoever wrongfully confines any person shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.

302. Punishment for murder.—Whoever commits murder shall be punished with death, or 1[imprisonment for life], and shall also be liable to fine.

120B. Punishment of criminal conspiracy.—

(1) Whoever is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death, 2[imprisonment for life] or rigorous imprisonment for a term of two years or upwards, shall, where no express provision is made in this Code for the punishment of such a conspiracy, be punished in the same manner as if he had abetted such offence.

(2) Whoever is a party to a criminal conspiracy other than a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable as aforesaid shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term not exceeding six months, or with fine or with both.]

201.Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information, to screen offender

Whoever, knowing or having reason to believe that an offence has been committed, causes any evidence of the commission of that offence to disappear, with the intention of screening the offender from legal punishment, or with that intention gives any information respecting the offence which he knows or believes to be false,

if a capital offence.—shall, if the offence which he knows or believes to have been committed is punishable with death be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine;

if punishable with imprisonment for life.—and if the offence is punishable with 1 [imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment which may extend to ten years, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine;

if punishable with less than ten years imprisonment.—and if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for any term not extending to ten years, shall be punished with imprisonment of the description provided for the offence, for a term which may extend to one-fourth part of the longest term of the imprisonment provided for the offence, or with fine, or with both.

Illustration

A, knowing that B has murdered Z, assists B to hide the body with the intention of screening B from punishment. A is liable to imprisonment of either description for seven years, and also to fine.

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