13 Convicted for Murder Amid Communal Violence in West Bengal

A district court in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district has convicted 13 individuals for the murder of Hargobindo Das and his son Chandan Das during a communal riot-like situation that occurred in April amid protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The sentencing for these 13 convicts will be announced by the district court at Murshidabad’s Jangipur on Tuesday. This comes nearly nine months after the tragic incident on April 12. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police apprehended these 13 individuals in connection with the case. Earlier this year, the SIT presented a 900-page charge sheet related to the matter, stating that the father and son were killed while attempting to prevent riots in the village. The SIT described the attack as “pre-planned.” The family members of the deceased victims declined the compensation offered by the Trinamool Congress-led state government but accepted the compensation provided by the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari. In April, the Calcutta High Court directed the formation of the SIT to investigate the Murshidabad riots and ordered the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to the area. The court criticized the West Bengal government for inadequate measures to control communal unrest, stating that had the CAPF been deployed earlier, the situation would not have escalated to such a “grave” and “volatile” state. The court also emphasized the importance of ensuring that the functioning of schools in sensitive areas is not disrupted in the aftermath of violence-related incidents.