Alipurduar: The Fast Track Second Court of the Alipurduar District Court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for brutally murdering a 15-year-old girl after she repeatedly rejected his advances.
According to case records, the incident occurred on November 11, 2021, in the Khalisamari area of Ward No. 3 in Falakata town. The convict, Swapan Biswas, a local youth, allegedly attacked his teenage neighbour with a sharp weapon after she refused his proposal.
The Class IX student was preparing to leave for school that morning. Taking advantage of her parents’ absence, the accused entered the house and assaulted her. The victim’s eight-year-old cousin was present at the scene during the attack. Hearing her screams, neighbours rushed in and took her to a hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s family, police arrested the accused on the same day and recovered the weapon used in the crime.
On Thursday, the court pronounced the life sentence after examining 15 witnesses, including the victim’s cousin and other eyewitnesses.
The court also directed the state government to pay Rs. 2 lakh as compensation to the bereaved family. Public Prosecutor Dulal Ghosh said the court had delivered a stringent punishment considering the heinous nature of the crime. In addition to life imprisonment, the convict was fined Rs. 50,000, with an additional one-year jail term in default of payment.