Guwahati, Aug. 11: Nine persons have been sentenced to life in prison for the abduction and murder of businessman-cum-politician Protul Chandra Deb 12 years ago.
A statement issued by the CBI today said the order was passed by the additional sessions judge-I, Guwahati, last Tuesday.
The nine accused - Jamaluddin Mazumdar alias Budul Mian, Hemendra Chakma alias Batti Bura, Ranjit Chakma alias Phora, Sahdev Chakma alias Hurrhaba, Krishna Madhav Chakma, Kalapunnu Chakma alias Gunaban, Rupdhan Chakma, Sahdev Chakma alias Master and Khagendra Chakma alias Khagen - were convicted in a case registered by the CBI under Sections 120B, 364-A and 302 of the IPC
On April 12, 2005, Gauhati High Court had directed the CBI to find the culprits behind the kidnapping of Deb in Hailakandi district. The court passed the order in connection with a public interest litigation (No. 48/2004).
The CBI took over the case, which was earlier registered at Katlicherra police station, on April 20, 2005.
Deb had started a bamboo cultivation business in Assam and Mizoram. He left Katlicherra for Bhairavi in Mizoram on March 17, 2004 with an employee and his manager.
While passing through the Bhaichera hills, two armed men in army uniforms pulled over Deb's car. As the vehicle stopped, more people emerged and the three occupants of the car were abducted.
The abductors initially demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh for Deb's release and later came down to Rs 40 lakh. Subsequently, the driver and manager were released. After more negotiations, a ransom of Rs 5 lakh was agreed upon and the first instalment of Rs 2 lakh was paid to the abductors at Silchar bus stand. The second instalment was paid at Chaurnga.
Despite being paid the ransom, the abductors killed Deb.
At the time, Deb's family members had alleged that Congress leader Gautam Roy was behind the whole incident.
Later, on the basis of disclosures made by the accused, police found the remains of Deb's body in the Bhaincherra jungle of Hailakandi district in September 2005.
The CBI filed the chargesheet on November 25, 2005 in the court of the special judicial magistrate, CBI, Guwahati, against eight accused. Later, a supplementary chargesheet was filed against Jamaluddin Mazumdar alias Budul Mian on January 23, 2006. Altogether 37 witnesses, including three forensic experts, testified during the trial.
The court found all the nine accused guilty and convicted them.
Deb, who had taught in Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria for 14 years, had finally settled with his family in London in 1986. There, he was an executive officer in the education department.
While his family took British citizenship, Deb continued on his Indian passport and returned to Assam in 1999 after taking voluntary retirement.
He contested the 2001 Assembly elections on a BJP ticket from Katlicherra, his ancestral town.
He contested against his brother-in-law Gautam Roy, a Congress nominee who won and went on to become a cabinet minister.
