2014 Bamangachi murder: 8 to hang for killing student who protested against crime

One accused awarded life term, three others get five years in jail.

A district court in Barasat Tuesday sentenced eight persons to death and awarded life term to another convict for murdering a 21-year-old college student two years ago in North 24-Parganas district of West Bengal.

Seventh Additional District Judge, Barasat, Daman Prasad Biswas, also awarded five year jail terms to three persons, including a woman, for the murder of Sourav Chowdhury at Bamangachi in the district on July 5, 2014.

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Those sentenced to death are Shyamal Karmakar, Suman Sarkar, Suman Das, Amal Barui, Somnath Sardar, Tapas Biswas, Ratan Samaddar and Tarak Das. Rakesh Burman has been awarded life sentence while another accused was acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence.

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Three others who were awarded 5-year jail terms were Karmakar’s sister Poly Maity, and Sisir Mukherjee and Ratan Das.

Chowdhury was killed on July 5, 2014. His body was recovered from near the railway tracks between Duttapukur and Bamangachi railway stations in the district. Chowdhury was at the forefront of a crusade against anti-social activities, including gambling rackets and illicit liquor dens, in the area. The incident had come two years after a 39-year old Barun Biswas, a school teacher, was allegedly killed killed in the district for protesting against the increasing cases of sexual assault on women in his neighbourhood.

Chowdhury’s family had alleged that a group of people led by Shyamal Karmakar, a local goon, had called the student out of his house. When he failed to return home, the family members launched a search and later registered a complaint with the police. It was on morning of July 5 that locals informed the family of his body lying near the tracks.

The incident had led to massive protests in the area even as both the Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP had claimed close links with the student while the Left Front had alleged that those behind Chowdhury’s killing were patronized by the ruling party.

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As per the police, the FIR was registered against 14 people. On April 15, the district court had pronounced 12 of them guilty. One accused was acquitted while the one more accused is still absconding.

Meanwhile, Chowdhury’s mother told reporters that she is happy with the verdict. She, however, said the family may move the High Court to seek death sentence for Rakesh Burman, who has been awarded life term.

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