Siliguri, Sept. 25: A fast track court in Jalpaiguri today awarded death sentences to a woman and her paramour for murdering her husband about three years ago.

Gandi Yadav (37), a resident of Baikunthapalli, located on the outskirts of Siliguri, along with her lover Shyam Yadav (42), living in the same locality, had murdered her husband Bisheshwar (47) by slitting his throat on December 9, 2005. The duo later dug a pit in the hut where Gandi and Bisheshwar had lived in and buried the body. She later engaged a mason to cement the dug portion of the floor.

“The woman and her paramour had finished of Bisheshwar when they found that her husband had came to know about their relationship,” said Sanjib Bose, the government lawyer.

When Bisheshwar was found missing, his brother Sadanand came to Baikunthapalli and heard from neighbours that Gandi had an affair with Shyam. The sight of a cemented floor in the hut raised many doubts in his mind and on December 25, he lodged a complaint with Bhaktinagar police.

When four workers engaged by police started digging the floor, a stench started emanating. A decomposed male body was found and Sadanand soon recognised it. The body was exhumed and sent for post-mortem.

Observing that the crime was a rare one, the court pronounced capital punishment for Gandi and Shyam. Bose said both were convicted under Section 34 (act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender) and Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

After the verdict, the duo were sent back to Jalpaiguri Central Jail. The order will be sent to Calcutta High Court for its approval.

The defence lawyer, Kishore Chanda, said there were a number of discrepancies in the case and an appeal would be filed in the high court.