A court in Jalpaiguri sentenced four members of the same family to rigorous life imprisonment on Friday in connection with a murder case from 2022.
The quartet consists of Nikhil Sarkar, his wife, Basanti, their son, Bishwanath, and Basanti’s brother, Buddheswar Mondal.
Another relative, Shambhu Mondal, was sentenced to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment.
They are residents of Jhar Shalbaria village in the Dhupguri block.
In 2022, a dispute arose over the possession of their relative Gobinda Mondal’s 17-katha ancestral property, on which he was constructing a house.
The convicted five, armed with sticks, iron rods and shovels, confronted Gobinda’s wife, Sandhya, and some other relatives at the site.
Gobinda rushed to intervene, but was struck on the head with a shovel and collapsed. He was taken to multiple medical facilities, including a private nursing home in Siliguri, but succumbed to his injuries.
His family filed a police complaint, and all five were arrested. They were granted bail by the Calcutta High Court, but were taken back into custody after being convicted.
Prasenjit Deb, the public prosecutor, stated that 12 witnesses, including two masons who witnessed the incident, had deposed before the court.
“Based on their testimonies and evidence, the court delivered stringent sentences for the five accused and has also imposed fines on them,” said Deb.
Theft arrest
Five people were arrested for stealing a bag containing ₹1.4 lakh in cash left at Babughat in Calcutta, while its owner was taking a bath on November 13.
Police said four people were nabbed last month. Based on their statement, police arrested the fifth person on Friday. The police have recovered ₹1.1 lakh from him, a source said.