Murshidabad, 23 December (H.S.): Jangipur sub-divisional court in Murshidabad district has sentenced 13 accused individuals to life imprisonment in the father-son murder case that occurred in Zafrabad during the violence related to the Waqf Act. Judge Amitabh Mukhopadhyay also ordered that the families of the deceased, Chandan Das and Hargobind Das, be paid Rs 15 lakh in compensation. The court had convicted the 13 accused on Monday, and the sentences were announced on Tuesday.

However, the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict. He stated that the culprits in this case should have been given the death penalty. Suvendu Adhikari also said that he would challenge the decision in the High Court.

Notably, after the implementation of the Waqf Act last April, protests erupted in several places. West Bengal, like other parts of the country, witnessed its impact. Tensions prevailed in Murshidabad, Malda, and the Sundarbans regions. During this period, on April 12, Hargobind Das and his son Chandan Das of the Das family were brutally murdered in Zafrabad area of Shamsherganj. They were not involved in the anti-Waqf violence in any way, but were caught in the middle of the mob and killed with sharp weapons.

Following the murders, the district police formed a special investigation team. The accused were arrested one by one during the investigation, and the case reached the court. The trial continued in the Jangipur sub-divisional court until December 16. On December 22, the court convicted 13 accused, and on Tuesday, they were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Reacting to the verdict, Suvendu Adhikari said that Chandan Das and Hargobind Das, who belonged to the Hindu community, were brutally murdered by religious fanatics, and such criminals should have been given the death penalty. He said that the decision was not satisfactory and would be challenged in the High Court.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey