In the Hanskhali gang-rape and murder case in Nadia district, a Ranaghat Sub-Divisional Court has handed down sentences. Three convicts, including the son of a Trinamool Congress leader, received life imprisonment, while the leader himself was given a five-year prison term. The verdict came after nine people were convicted on Monday in connection with the case, leading to emotional scenes as the victim’s family members reacted to the news.
Sohail (Braj) Gayali, the son of the Trinamool leader, along with two others, Prabhakar Poddar and Ranjit Mallick, were sentenced to life imprisonment for charges related to gang rape. Additionally, Sohail’s father, Samarendra Gayali, and two others were handed five-year prison terms for evidence tampering. Anshuman Bagchi, a neighbor accused of intimidating the victim’s family, was sentenced to three years in prison for his involvement in the case.
The court granted bail to two minor defendants but imposed restrictions on their engagement in criminal activities for a year. The minors were also fined Rs 50,000 each. The incident, which involved a gang rape complaint filed in April 2022, sparked outrage in the state after a minor girl was allegedly gang-raped at a birthday party and subsequently left bleeding outside her home.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s comments on the incident stirred controversy, with the victim’s family maintaining that the girl was lured to the party and later died due to severe bleeding. Following police inaction allegations, the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), leading to the conviction of nine individuals by the Ranaghat Sub-divisional Court.
The defence lawyer, Raja Dhar, expressed concerns over the investigation, citing inconsistencies and lack of potency tests for the accused. Plans for an appeal in a higher court are underway to challenge the verdict.
