13 get life term over Murshidabad lynching

THirteen people were sentenced to lifetime by a territorial dominion margaret court on tues for lynching a padre and son in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district in April amid a violent protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The court also ordered the state to pay ₹15 lakh to the victims’ family as compensation“This is the second such case in India where life imprisonment has been awarded to the convicts in a case of mob lynching. We had prayed for the death sentence,” Bivas Chatterjee, special public prosecutor, told reporters.Communal clashes broke out in Samserganj and Suti areas in Murshidabad district on April 11 and 12 following protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act. Houses were looted, shops were set on fire and police were attacked.Three people were killed, including 72-year-old Haragobindo Das and his son Chandan Das who were hacked to death by a mob in Jafrabad. The Calcutta high court ordered deployment of central forces. Around 170 people took refuge in the relief camp in Malda across the Bhagirathi River.“We framed charges against 13 persons under various sections of the BNS including 103(2) (murder committed by more than five persons particularly on grounds of caste and religion), 191 (2) (rioting) and 310 (2) (dacoity) along with some sections of the Arms Act,” said a senior IPS officer.Each of the 13 convicts was also sentenced to 10 years in prison for dacoity, 10 years of imprisonment for house trespass and a five-year term for rioting. All the sentences will run concurrently, the court said.The Das family said they were not happy with the court verdict.Speaking to reporters at the state BJP office in Kolkata with leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari by her side, Haragobinda’s wife, Parul Das, said, “We want the death penalty for three of the convicts, whom we have already identified. We are not happy with the court order.”Adhikari said the family would move the high court, seeking the death penalty for three of the 13 convicts, and the BJP would assist them.“We are not happy with this judgment. Three of the 13 had slaughtered the father and the son, who were idol makers, with sharp knives meant for chopping meat. Their action is no less than that of jihadis. The other 10 were conspirators and helped the three,” he claimed.Adhikari alleged that the charges against the three main accused were watered down by the SIT formed to probe the case.“The SIT could not live up to the expectation of ensuring exemplary punishment to the main culprits,” he said.With agency inputs