Jalpaiguri: Three years after a violent land dispute led to the death of a 52-year-old man, a Jalpaiguri court on Friday sentenced four members of the same family to rigorous imprisonment for life. Another family member was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.
Judge Biplab Roy of the Third Court of the Jalpaiguri Additional District and Sessions Court delivered the verdict in the 2022 murder case that had triggered shock in the Jhar Shalbaria area of Dhupguri block. Those awarded life imprisonment are Nikhil Sarkar, his wife Basanti Sarkar, their son Bishwanath Sarkar and Basanti’s brother Buddheshwar Mondal. Shambhu Mondal, another relative, received a 10-year jail term.
The case dates back to a dispute over nearly 0.53 acres of ancestral land owned by the victim, Gobinda Mondal, who was overseeing the construction of a house on the plot on the day of the attack. Around 2:30 pm, Nikhil, Basanti, Bishwanath, Buddheshwar and Shambhu allegedly arrived at the site with sticks and iron rods, confronting Gobinda’s wife, Sandhya Mondal and other family members.
An argument broke out and the accused allegedly assaulted Sandhya and her relatives. Hearing the commotion, Gobinda rushed to the spot. When he tried to intervene, he was struck on the head with a construction shovel, leaving him critically injured. He was taken to multiple hospitals, including a private nursing home in Siliguri, where he died.
Following a written complaint from the family, police arrested the accused. State prosecutor Prasenjit Deb said 12 witnesses were testified during the trial.