Murder of Bhutanese man in Jaigaon: Alipurduar court sentences convict to life imprisonment

Alipurduar: The Alipurduar District Court on Tuesday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the murder of a Bhutanese citizen in Jaigaon, a town along the Indo-Bhutan border.

District and Sessions Judge Bibhuti Kheshang pronounced the sentence against Yashi Dhaba, a resident of Jaigaon, who was found guilty of killing Kumar Thapa, a Bhutanese national, on August 24, 2024.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place around 4:30 pm at Thapa’s rented residence in Jaigaon. An altercation broke out after the accused, reportedly in an intoxicated state, began creating a disturbance. When Kumar Thapa protested, Dhaba attacked him with a sharp weapon, fatally injuring him in front of his wife, Sheela Thapa.

Based on a written complaint filed by Sheela Thapa on the same day, police from Jaigaon Police Station arrested the accused and booked him under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to murder. A total of 14 witnesses, including the victim’s wife, testified during the trial. The court treated Sheela Thapa’s eyewitness account as the most crucial evidence in securing the conviction.

Speaking to the media, Suhrid Majumdar, Public Prosecutor at the Alipurduar District Court, stated, “Section 103 of the BNS provides for either the death penalty or life imprisonment in murder cases. In this case, the court awarded life imprisonment, with Sheela Thapa’s testimony playing a key role.”

The verdict comes nine months after the incident, with the court delivering its judgment after examining all evidence and witness accounts.