The date of December 24, 2022, is etched in the memory of the people of Korba, Chhattisgarh. A young woman was brutally murdered. Sahban Khan, a 30-year-old bus conductor from Ahmedabad, driven by suspicion of his 20-year-old girlfriend’s infidelity, committed a heinous act. He raped her and then inflicted 51 stab wounds to her chest with a screwdriver. The district court has now sentenced the perpetrator to life imprisonment.
Khan had traveled to Jaipur from Ahmedabad. He worked as a conductor for the Chisti Bus Service, which operated between Jaipur and Korba. It was during this time that he met the young woman, who was studying in the Madanpur area and frequently traveled by bus. Their friendship blossomed into a relationship, and Khan even planned to marry her. However, the situation took a dark turn when the woman began communicating with another man. Enraged, Khan repeatedly tried to stop her and even threatened her mother, warning that he would harm both of them if she didn’t stop her daughter.
Khan, consumed by suspicion, plotted the murder. On December 24, 2022, he flew from Ahmedabad to Raipur and then traveled to Korba. After staying at Hotel Salim, he went to his girlfriend’s house. A heated argument ensued, leading Khan to rape her and then repeatedly stab her in the chest with a screwdriver. No one was present in the house at the time of the attack. The woman died at the scene.
Her brother found her body covered in blood and alerted the police. During the investigation, blood-stained shoes, a shirt, earphones, and a condom packet were recovered from the scene. Given the sensitive nature of the case, the police sought assistance from the cyber cell. After approximately one and a half months of investigation, the accused was arrested in Gujarat and brought to Korba. During questioning, Khan confessed to his crime.
The Special Judge of the District Court, Jaideep Garg, found Sahban Khan guilty. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of 75,000 rupees. It was also ordered that he would have to serve an additional 18 months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.