Assam: Dhubri man sentenced to life imprisonment for beating man to death

In a remarkable ruling, the Court Of Additional Sessions Judge, Dhubri sentenced Abu Taher Ali @ Abu Taher Pramanik to life in prison for the murder of Santosh Pandey. The conviction was based on extensive investigations and a number of hearings that revealed the grisly details of the crime.

A First Information Report (FIR) was filed by Kanchan Pandey with the Officer-in-Charge of the South Salmara Police Station on March 25, 2015, according to Additional Public Prosecutor Dinesh Choudhury. Kanchan Pandey revealed that Santosh Pandey, her brother, resident of Gaikhowa under South Salmara police station had been doing business with Abu Taher Pramanik in the coal sector. Santosh visited Pramanik's home on March 16, 2015, carrying Rs. 3 lakh that he had earned by selling gold jewellery.

That evening, at 7:00 PM, Santosh made his sister a call to let her know he would be staying there. But soon after, it was revealed that Pramanik and his cronies had taken the money from Santosh, tied him to a pole, and beat him to death. After that, the assailants dumped his body on a neighbouring "char" (riverine island).

On March 18, 2015, Kanchan Pandey filed her brother's first missing report. Following the discovery of Santosh's body by the police, a murder case was filed. Following an extensive investigation, the police filed a charge-sheet (No. 136) on December 31, 2016, against Abu Taher Pramanik, Md. Nur Alom Islam, Gazibar Rahman, and Abdul Karim, under Sections 387 (extortion), 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

On Monday, Additional Sessions Judge, Dhubri, Syed Burhanur Rahman delivered the verdict, stating, "Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, I am of the opinion that the minimum punishment provided for the offence of murder will meet the end of justice. Accordingly, Abu Taher Ali @ Abu Taher Pramanik is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life for committing the offence punishable under Section 302 of the IPC and also to pay a fine of Rs. 10,000/- only in default, he will undergo further rigorous imprisonment for three months."

However, Md. Nur Alom Islam, Gazibar Rahman, and Abdul Karim the three accused in the murder case were released from court by Additional Sessions Judge Dhubri because the South Salmara police charge sheet contained no evidence that would have proven them guilty of Santosh Pandey's death.

The judgment has been received positively by the family of the victim and the local community, which has been closely following the case. Many see it as a step towards justice for the Pandey family and a reinforcement of the rule of law.