Hooghly, 29 July (H.S.): A Chinsurah court on Wednesday sentenced seven convicts to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of Trinamool Congress leader Dilip Ram in Bandel. The court also imposed financial penalties on all seven convicts.

The seven convicts — Mohammad Nasim alias Guddu, Saddam Hossain, Mangal Yadav, Baijnath Rai alias Headek, Mohammad Akbar, Mohammad Sanu and Mohammad Manu — were awarded life-term rigorous imprisonment.

Judge Kaustav Mukherjee of the Third Sessions Court at Chinsurah had convicted all seven accused on Tuesday. The convicts were already in judicial custody.

According to the prosecution, Dilip Ram was shot dead at point-blank range on Platform No. 5 of Bandel railway station on June 29, 2019, when he was heading to catch a train. At the time, his wife Ritu Singh was the pradhan of Bandel Gram Panchayat. Police began the investigation based on her complaint.

Public prosecutor Shankar Gangopadhyay said investigating officer Pradip Dey had submitted the chargesheet within 90 days of the incident. A total of 39 witnesses were examined during the trial.

The prosecution established in court that the accused had conspired to kill Dilip Ram. The statements of four eyewitnesses and the forensic matching of the bullet recovered from Dilip Ram’s head with the firearm allegedly recovered from the person who fired the shots were cited as crucial evidence.

According to the prosecution case, Dilip Ram had a land dispute with alleged drug dealer Samundri Yadav alias Shakuntala Devi of Bandel. It was alleged that Samundri planned to eliminate him and hired assailants for Rs 3 lakh.

The assailants allegedly conducted reconnaissance of Bandel several times before carrying out the murder. Dilip Ram regularly boarded the Naihati local from Platform No. 5 of Bandel station. He was employed at a railway office in Naihati.

On the day of the incident, at around 9 am, he was shot near the railway tracks while proceeding towards Platform No. 5 to board his train.

Reacting to the verdict, Dilip Ram’s wife Ritu Singh said she was happy with the court’s decision, although the family had sought the death penalty. She also expressed satisfaction with the manner in which the prosecution conducted the case.

However, she demanded the arrest of the remaining accused who are still absconding.

According to the prosecution, Samundri Yadav and her son Azad have been absconding since the incident. Public prosecutor Gangopadhyay said chargesheets had also been filed against the two absconders and that proceedings against them would begin once they are arrested.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey