JORHAT, Oct 12 - The District and Sessions Court here on Monday found 25 among the 32 accused people guilty of murder in the sensational Teok Tea Estate doctor � Dr Deben Dutta � lynching case, at the garden hospital on August 31 last year.
It may be mentioned here that one of the accused � Hari Majhi � died last month while in judicial custody.
Judge Robin Phukan convicted the 25 accused persons under Sections 302/149, 342/149, 353/148, 353/149 of IPC while 12 of the 25 accused were also convicted under Section 4 of AMSP and MSI Act (Assam Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property Act, 2011).
Two among the 25 were convicted under Section 148 of IPC, while 23 others were convicted under Section 147 IPC.
The court will hear on October 19 on the quantum of sentences to be pronounced on the convicted persons.
It may be mentioned here that police arrested 32 workers within a week of the incident. A 602-page charge-sheet was filed in the court within 22 days (shortest period in Assam) of committing the crime and 60 witnesses were named in the charge-sheet, which included eyewitnesses� accounts, forensic staff, police and others. Altogether, 56 of them were examined during the trial.
Another highlight of the case was that police for the first time in Assam and perhaps in India provided protection to seven witnesses under the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018, after the Supreme Court of India while delivering the landmark judgment in the Mahendra Chawla vs Union of India, had approved the said scheme.
Durga Prasad Jaiswal, Special Public Prosecutor appointed for the case, while expressing satisfaction over the verdict, told this newspaper that he hoped exemplary punishment would be meted out to the convicts.
Jaiswal termed the conviction of 25 people �a big development� in the State�s recent legal history. He was assisted in the trial by advocates Angshuman Baruah and Tridib Dutta.
Aparajita Dutta, wife of late Dr Deben Dutta, who was in court at the time of pronouncement of the verdict, too expressed her satisfaction.
Anup Kumar Dutta, the defence lawyer in the case, in his reaction too expressed his satisfaction over the verdict and welcomed it. He observed the judgement as a �well-balanced� one. Dutta was assisted by advocate Bonosmita Borah.
Names of 25 convicted persons: Sanjay Rajowar, Sanjib Rajowar, Suresh Rajowar, Ajoy Majhi, Upendra Bhumij, Ratul Rajowar, Bablu Rajowar, Anil Majhi, Bijoy Rajowar, Bolin Rajowar, Dipak Rajowar, Milon Rajowar, Rinku Majhi, Mishilal Majhi, Sibcharan Mahali, Debeswar Rajowar, Kartik Bhumiz, Sanjoy Rajowar, Kalicharan Mahali, Rameswar Bhumiz, Siba Mahali, Rahul Rajowar, Kalanag Majhi, Manoj Majhi, Rinku Bakti.
