Kamduni rape and murder case: 3 get death penalty, rest sentenced to life imprisonment

Three other convicts in the case have been awarded lifetime imprisonment.

The incident had triggered a political firestorm with the ruling government in West Bengal coming under attack after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her visit to the family called some protesters in the village as Opposition and Maoist backed forces.

After the year-long hearing the trial of the case came to an end on Dec 22

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The Additional District Sessions Judge (II) of the Bankshall Court in Kolkata, Sanchita Sarkar on Thursday held six of the eight accused as guilty under several IPC sections. Three of them, Saiful Ali Mollah, Ansar Ali Mollah and Amin Ali were found guilty under IPC sections 376A, 376D, 302, 102B and 201 and given death sentence while the other three -Imanul Hoque, Vola Naskar and Aminul Islam- were punished under IPC sections 376A, 376D, 102B and 201 and served life sentence. Saiful Ali Mollah was slapped more IPC sections- 109 and 342- by the court.

However, the other two accused in this case- Rafik Gaji and Noor Ali- were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

"We are happy with the judgement," said the brother of the victim while her friends from the village, some of whom turned activists to demand justice for the murdered girl, broke down before media.

Tumpa Kayal and Mausumi Kayal, the two girils from the village who spearheaded a movement along with a local school teacher under the banner of  Kamduni Protibadi Mancha, said they would keep fighting for safety of women.

"Not much has changed in the village. We are still insecure and more so after two were acquitted owing to poor investigation by police," said Mausumi Kayal.

"We lost our friend. Parents lost their daughter. Nothing can bring her back. But we will keep fighting for justice always," they said.

After post-conviction argument sessions, judge Sanchita Sarkar pronounced the sentence in this case on Saturday afternoon.

The Public Prosecutor, Dipak Ghosh, had appealed to the judge to give them capital punishment.

However, judge Sanchita Sarkar at 3:45 served the punishment where Saiful Ali Mollah, Ansar Ali Mollah and Amin Ali have been given death penalty, while the three others- Imanul Hoque, Vola Naskar and Aminul Islam- have been sentenced for life imprisonment.

Two and half years ago, a BA second year student was allegedly gang-raped and murdered by few local miscreants inside an isolated compound at Kamduni village On June 7 evening in 2013, while she was returning home from college after an examination. Her brutalized body was found on the next day.

Nine were arrested in connection with this case and charged under IPC sections 376D, 376A, 302, 341, 201, 120B and 109. One of them- Gopal Naskar (65)- died of fever and septicaemia on Aug 1 last year in custody during the trial.

Demanding justice and exemplary punishment for the culprits, the Kamduni residents began their protest from the morning of June 8 in 2013 and the Kamduni Pratibadi Mancha (KPM) was formed which strengthened the protest movement later. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met the brothers of the victim on June 12 and offered a government job to the elder brother and also promised to bear the cost of treatment of the victim's parents and the cost of education of the younger brother. Refusing the CM's help, the victim's brothers demanded capital punishment for the accused.

The Chief Minister's visit to the village and family also created a controversy when she dubbed some protesting women as those being linked to Maoists and rival communists.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)