Retired army officer K Ramaraj was sentenced to life imprisonment by a fast track court for last year's killing of a 13-year-old boy who had entered his residential premises to pick almonds.
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The court also levied a fine of Rs 60,000 on Lt Col (retd) Ramaraj, 50, of which Rs.50,000 has to be given to the family of the victim, K Dilshan, said a prosecution lawyer.
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Reacting to the judgement, Dilshan's mother K Kalaivani told reporters assembled at the court: "I am happy. It is a good judgement. This will be a lesson to everybody. Such incidents should not happen to anyone, anywhere in the world."
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A prosecution lawyer told reporters that the hearing by the court began in September and ended April 11. Around 55 witnesses were examined by the court.
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The Tamil Nadu police cracked the case within a week after the killing of the boy.
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According to police, Ramaraj was irritated by the boy's trespassing his residential premises to pick up almond nuts.
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Police had charged that Dilshan was shot by Ramaraj from the balcony of his residence July 3 afternoon when the boy and his friends entered the residential campus to pluck almonds.
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Dilshan was fatally wounded and succumbed to injuries in a hospital. Ramaraj has three sons serving in the army.
