Hooghly, 20 February (H.S.): The Chuchura Fast Track Court in Hooghly delivered a harsh verdict in the case of an attempted murder of a mother, daughter, and their driver by burning them alive based on a rumor that they were 'child-lifters.' The court convicted 25 accused, sentencing two to life imprisonment and the remaining 23 to seven years' imprisonment each. Judge Piyush Kanti Rai announced the sentences on Friday.

The incident occurred on January 21, 2017, in Asanpur village, under Balagarh police station area of Hooghly district. Suspecting them of being 'child-lifters,' some people surrounded a mother, daughter, and their driver and brutally assaulted them. Their vehicle was allegedly set on fire and an attempt was made to burn the three alive, plunging the entire area into violence.

The mob also attacked police officers who arrived to control the situation. During this incident, a civic volunteer was injured by an arrow, while a total of 11 police officers were injured.

The prosecution presented 27 witnesses in court. Based on all the evidence and testimony, the court convicted 25 accused. Of these, Gopal Rai and Purnima Malik were sentenced to life imprisonment, while the other 23 were sentenced to seven years each.

Chief Public Prosecutor Shankar Gangopadhyay stated that the simultaneous sentencing of 25 accused in a single case is an important precedent in judicial history. Public Prosecutor Jayanta Saha stated that despite the attack, the police performed their duty, attempted to protect the victims, conducted an impartial investigation, and filed a charge sheet, based on which the court rendered this verdict.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey