Murshidabad, 22 December (H.S.): Jangipur Sub-Divisional Cour has delivered a major verdict in the brutal murder of a father and son in Zafrabad of Murshidabad district, amidst protests against the Waqf Act. The Court on Monday convicted 13 accused in the case. The sentences for the convicts will be announced on Tuesday.

The incident took place last year in April. Following the implementation of the Waqf Act, protests were being held in various areas by members of the minority community. Several parts of Bengal—Murshidabad, Malda, and the Sundarbans regions—witnessed unrest during that time. Amidst this turmoil, on April 12, in Zafrabad village under Shamsherganj police station in Murshidabad, local residents Hargobind Das and his son Chandan Das were attacked and murdered with sharp weapons.

Allegedly the murder was not directly related to the Waqf Act protests, but that the father and son were caught in the middle of the mob when the situation escalated during the protests and were brutally hacked to death. This incident further heightened tensions in the area.

Considering the gravity of the case, the district police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate. The accused were arrested one by one during the investigation, and the trial subsequently began. The trial continued until December 16 at Jangipur Sub-Divisional Court, after which Judge Amitabh Mukhopadhyay delivered the verdict on Monday, convicting all 13 accused.

The convicts' lawyer stated that an appeal could be filed in a higher court if necessary after the sentencing. Meanwhile, the Das family has found some relief in the court's decision. The family members have demanded the harshest possible punishment for the convicts.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey