A trial court in Jangipur, West Bengal, delivered a significant verdict on Monday, convicting thirteen individuals for the brutal murder of a 72-year-old man and his 40-year-old son during communal riots in Dhuliyan town, Murshidabad, earlier this year.
The Gruesome Attack and Swift Investigation
The horrific incident occurred on April 12, when a protest against the Centre's new waqf law spiraled into violence. The victims, Hargobindo Das and his son Chandan, were forcibly dragged out of their home in Jafrabad and hacked to death by a mob. According to the investigation, the double murder was triggered by rumors that security personnel had fired at a local mosque, leading to widespread arson and attacks.
A 25-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by DIG (Murshidabad Range) Syed Waquar Raza, was formed to probe the case. The team conducted raids across nine locations in West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand to apprehend the accused. The operation faced serious challenges, including an instance in Jharsuguda, Odisha, where a joint Bengal-Odisha police team came under fire while attempting to arrest five suspects.
Fast-Track Conviction and Courtroom Testimonies
Additional District Judge Amitava Mukherjee pronounced the conviction a little over six months after the SIT filed a comprehensive 983-page charge sheet. The thirteen accused were found guilty under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including murder, robbery, trespassing, rioting with a deadly weapon, causing hurt, and wrongful restraint.
Special Public Prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee highlighted the speed of the judicial process, calling it "one of the fastest convictions in Bengal in a twin murder case." The sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday. During the trial, eyewitnesses, including family members, provided chilling accounts. They stated that the father and son had bravely resisted the mob twice before the attackers returned armed the third time and executed them.
Family's Quest for Justice and Lingering Fear
While the conviction marks a crucial step, the victims' family seeks further accountability. Chandan's widow, Pompa, and other relatives have already moved the Calcutta High Court demanding a CBI probe, which is still pending. "We will decide what to do next only after hearing the sentence on Tuesday," Pompa said.
Prasenjit, Chandan's cousin, expressed relief but also pointed to those who may have orchestrated the violence from behind the scenes. "We believe those who were convicted were the ones who led the attack. There were others... They need to be caught and held accountable too. This should not be the end of the police probe," he asserted.
The trauma of the incident continues to haunt the family. Pompa and her mother-in-law, who had moved to Kolkata after the murders, have returned to their Jafrabad home. Although the administration has installed lights and police conduct sporadic checks, a deep sense of unease persists. "The accused are all locals... The brutality of the incident is difficult to imagine, and we have witnessed it with our own eyes," Prasenjit recounted, underscoring the psychological scars left by the tragedy.
ADG (Law & Order) Jawed Shamim affirmed the police's commitment, stating, "We collected enough evidence and were confident and committed to securing a conviction." The case highlights the challenges of maintaining law and order during communal flare-ups and the judiciary's role in delivering timely justice.
