Four get 5 yr jail term 18 yrs after lynching youth in Assam

The four convicts have also been ordered to pay a fine of ₹3,000 each, failing which their jail stay will be extended by three months

18 years after a youth in Assam was lynched in Cachar district, a local court on Wednesday sentenced four accused to five years of rigorous imprisonment.

The lynched youth was first rushed to Silchar Medical College and Hospital, which referred him to a Guwahati hospital, where he died a day later. (HT Photo)

On March 2, 2003, a youth named Dipak Deb was assaulted with wooden clubs and sharp objects at Bhuvan Hill in Cachar district after he intervened in a brawl between two groups at Pani Chawki while returning from Bhuban mela at Sonai. Badly injured, he was first rushed to Silchar Medical College and Hospital, which referred him to a Guwahati hospital, where he died a day later. His family filed a police complaint on March 4, 2003.

Additional sessions judge, Cachar, AJ Borah in his order passed on November 22 noted that thepolice visited the crime spot and spoke to witnesses before arresting the accused, who were put through identification parade before a charge-sheet was filed against four accused,namely, Ajoy Das, Satya Ranjan Das, Anup Das and Subhash Das.

The four convicts have also been ordered to pay a fine of ₹3,000 each, failing which their jail stay will be extended by three months.

“Convicts Ajoy Das, Satya Ranjan Das, Anup Das (aka Anu Das) and Subhash Das are remanded to Central Jail, Cachar, Silchar to serve out the sentence. Convicts are entitled to the benefit of Section 428 CrPc for the period already undergone,” AJ Borah ordered.