Malda: In a chilling case of sexual assault and murder, the Malda District Court on Monday convicted a youth, sentencing him to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh. The judgment was delivered by POCSO Court Judge Rajib Saha, based on the testimony of 13 witnesses.
The convict, identified as Samim Akhtar, of Jatradanga Gram Panchayat under Malda Police Station had been accused of luring his class XI student girlfriend and neighbour on the night of the crime, subjecting her to sexual assault and later strangling her to death. In an attempt to conceal the crime, Akhtar tied bricks to the victim’s body and dumped it in a pond back on June 19, 2022.
According to public prosecutor Asitbaran Bose, the case initially named both Akhtar and his father as accused. “The complaint was lodged against the father and son. However, during trial, evidence clearly established Samim Akhtar’s involvement, while his father was acquitted due to lack of proof,” he said. Bose further explained that the accused and the victim had been in a relationship. “There had been instances of physical intimacy between the two. On the night of the incident, Samim brutally assaulted her, inflicted injuries on her private parts and then killed her,” Bose told reporters.
Delivering the verdict, the court held Akhtar guilty under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and 302 of CrPC.