Statesman News Service
CHANDDERNAGORE, Nov 11: The CPI-M’s Hooghly district committee member, Suhrid Dutta, and his close aide, Debu Malik, were today found guilty in the Tapasi Malik murder case. The additional district and session judge of the Chanddernagore First Fast Track Court, Mr Amar Kanti Acharya, will pronounce the quantum of punishment tomorrow.The two accused were produced before the judge under tight security at 1 p.m. today. The judge declared Dutta and Malik guilty in a packed court room around 1.30 p.m. Dutta was convicted under Section 120 (B), read with Section 302, 201, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) while Debu was convicted under Sections 120 (B), 302, 34 and 201 IPC. Dutta's advocate, Mr Arindam Bhattacharjee, described the judgement as a miscarriage of justice. “We are not happy with the judgement. We will move a higher court after pronouncement of the quantum of punishment," he said. Malik's advocate, Mr Kishor Mondal said he would also challenge today's judgement in a higher court. Dutta's elder brother, Mr Saroj Dutta, who is the secretary of the CPI-M Bara local committee in Singur, said: “The conspiracy against my brother and our party is still on. We will unite the mass against the conspiracy. The legal battle will go on.” Earlier in the day, several thousand people, both from the CPI-M and Trinamul Congress, had gathered in the court premises to hear the judgement. They were, however, not allowed to enter the court. Some Trinamul Congress supporters tried to break down the police cordon when the accused were being taken inside the court, but they were chased away after a scuffle. Several CPI-M leaders, including two MPs, Mr Rupchand Paul and Mr Santashree Chatterjee, were present in the court. Welcoming the judgement, Tapasi's father, Mr Manoranjan Malik said: “We were confident that we would get justice. I am happy that my daughter's murderers were finally found guilty.” In Singur, several hundred locals joined in a rally that originated near Tapasi Malik's residence demanding capital punishment for Suhrid Dutta and Debu Malik“We want Dutta and Malik to be hanged. They were convicted by residents of Singur much before. Today they were convicted in a court,” said Ms Aparna Dhara, a friend of Tapasi.The Singur Krishi Jomi Raksha Committee organised several other rallies in villages across Singur demanding death penalty for the Tapasi murder accused. Welcoming the court's verdict, Trinamul Congress chief, Miss Mamata Banerjee said the chief minister had no moral right to continue as home minister and demanded that he should step down from his post. The CPI-M, however, asserted the two accused were falsely implicated. Reacting to the verdict, Mr Benoy Konar, CPI-M central committee member said it only “confirmed the Bengali saying that whatever the master wishes is carried out.” Miss Banerjee asked Mr Konar to explain what he actually meant and whom he was insinuating at. The Trinamul Congress and the Singur Krishi Jomi Jiban Raksha Committee will organise a rally at Singur on 5 December “in memory of Tapasi Malik”.
Tapasi Malik murder case at a glance
Tapasi Malik murder case at a glance
The charred body of Tapasi, an 18-year-old Singur Krishi Jomi Raksha Committee member, was found in a pit inside the Singur small car project area on 18 December 2006. A CID probe was ordered on that day The state government ordered a CBI probe on 12 Jaunuary 2007 Malik was arrested and taken to Delhi for a polygraph test on 24 June 2007 Dutta was arrested on 28 June 2007 on statement given to CBI sleuths by Malik CBI filed chargesheet in connection with the case on 15 September Trial began on 28 January 2008 and it continued till August A total 65 witnesses were examined during trial The accused were found guilty on 11 November.
Source: The Statesman
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