Silchar: A fast-track court in Cachar sentenced three men to life imprisonment, after a trial which lasted for 22 years, for murdering a youth in the November of 2004.The court of additional district and sessions judge (fast track court) Bankim Sharma convicted Dhanraj Surana (55), Rinku Deb alias Madhusudan (43) and Ratan Debnath (40) under Sections 302/34 of the IPC for the murder of Munna Majumdar (24), a resident of Shiv Colony.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on each of the convicts, with an additional six months’ imprisonment, in case of failure to pay the stipulated fine.The case, which had gained widespread traction across the town in 2004, saw Majumdar’s body being recovered from Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), under mysterious circumstances, on the night of Nov 5.According to the prosecution, Deb, Debnath and Majumdar were employed at Surana Textile, a business establishment owned by Surana in Cachar’s Janiganj area.
On the night of the incident, Deb allegedly visited Majumdar’s residence and informed his family that the latter had fallen seriously ill and had to be admitted to SMCH for treatment. When Majumdar’s family rushed to the hospital, the three accused reportedly told them that he was undergoing treatment and advised them to return home.However, suspecting foul play, the family later returned to the hospital only to find that the accused had fled, leaving Majumdar’s body lying in a corridor, which bore multiple injury marks.
Wasting little time, Majumdar’s sister, Ratna, lodged an FIR at Sadar police station, accusing the trio of murdering her brother.Gaining traction, the incident sparked massive protests across Silchar, with demonstrations, vandalism and arson reported from several parts of Cachar town. The situation escalated to such an extent that district administration was forced to impose curfew to prevent any further breakdown in the law and order situation.Following an investigation, police filed charges against the three accused, before a 22-year-old trial saw them convicted of murder.
