Kamduni rape & murder case: HC admits petitions of four convicts

The Calcutta high court on Thursday admitted petitions by four convicts in the gangrape and murder of a 21-year-old college girl at Kamduni in North 24 Parganas district, challenging a sessions court judgement.

Petitions by the four convicts, two of whom were awarded death sentence, were moved before a division bench comprising Justice Nadira Patheria and Justice Debi Prasad Dey, which directed that the matter would be heard after a month.

Of the four, Ansar Ali and Amin Ali were awarded death sentence, while Bhola Naskar and Sk Imamul Islam were sentenced to life imprisonment by Additional District and Sessions judge Sanchita Sarkar on January 30.

Counsel Firoze Edulji stated in the petitions that the convictions were not based on sound evidence and that these be set aside and prayed for acquittal.

Two others were also convicted in the case. While Saiful Ali was sentenced to death, Aminul Islam was sentenced to life imprisonment. 

These two have not yet filed an appeal before the High Court.

Two accused — Rafiqul Islam and Nur Ali were acquitted owing to lack of evidence against them. Another accused Gopal Naskar died during the trial in August last year.

The gangrape and murder of the 21-year-old took place when she was returning home at Kamduni in North 24 Parganas district, about 50 km from Kolkata, after appearing for an examination at her college on June 7, 2013.

The second year BA student was pulled into a farm  by the accused when she was walking back home along a deserted road after alighting from a bus. 

She was subsequently gangraped and murdered.

Her mutilated body was found the next morning in a corner of the farm.