Alipurduar: Man sentenced to life for infant girl’s murder

Alipurduar: After a decade-long legal battle, the Alipurduar District Court on Tuesday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the horrific murder of a one-and-a-half-year-old girl — an act that had shocked the community in 2013.

The case dates back to July 20, 2013, when Phulbanti Oraon, a resident of Mathura Tea Garden in Alipurduar, was allegedly assaulted without provocation by her neighbour, Sadananda Ray. In a desperate bid to escape the attack, Phulbanti fled her home. Seizing the moment, the accused allegedly abducted her toddler daughter, who was asleep inside the house.

According to the FIR, when he failed to catch Phulbanti, Sadananda forcibly took the child, carrying her by one arm. Alerted by the mother’s cries, local residents chased him down. A short distance away, they found the accused forcing the infant into a drain with his foot. By the time they intervened, the child had already died. An enraged mob caught hold of Sadananda Ray and handed him over to the police after physically assaulting him.

Public Prosecutor Dulal Ghosh confirmed that based on Phulbanti’s complaint, police arrested the accused and filed charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 450 (house-trespass), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 364 (kidnapping with intent to murder), and 302 (murder). Over the course of 12 years, 13 witnesses deposed before the court.

On Tuesday, the court found Sadananda Ray guilty on all counts and sentenced him to life imprisonment.