Cooch Behar: A special court in Cooch Behar sentenced two accused individuals to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a minor girl in the Sitai area of Cooch Behar district in 2016. Justice Shyam Sundar Das presided over the case, which concluded on Tuesday. Additionally, the court imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the guilty parties.
According to court sources, on January 19, 2016, a minor girl from Sitai was abducted from her home, subjected to sexual assault and subsequently murdered. This heinous incident had sent shockwaves through the entire Cooch Behar district. Notably, the victim’s family had sought support from those who engaged in the justice movement in the Kamduni incident at the time.
Based on the complaint, three individuals, including a minor, were arrested in connection with the incident. Initially, the case was heard in the Dinhata Subdivisional Court but was later transferred to the Special Court in Cooch Behar. The case reached its conclusion with the recent verdict. Hazrat Ali and Rafiqul Ali, the two accused, received life sentences and were also fined Rs 50,000.
Chandrasekhar Bhattacharya, the Public Prosecutor, said: “In this case, our plea was for a death sentence, but the court decided on life imprisonment for the convicts. It should be noted that the accused have the option to appeal to
a higher court.”