Women torture case: 7 convicted

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

AGARTALA, May 18: Seven persons including three women have been convicted in the infamous Tata Kalibari incident in which a young housewife Soma Majumder was brutally tortured by a group of people mostly women on October 11, 2014.

Four male accused Sushil Majumder, Dipankar Majumder, Debabrata Majumder and Partha Majumder were convicted and awarded four years rigorous imprisonment while three female accused Sima Majumder, Shilpi Majumder and Suniti Majumder were convicted and given two years imprisonment. The additiol District and Session Judge Sanjib Majumder also imposed fine on them, non-payment of which will increase their jail term.

However, the judge allowed a bail petition moved by the three female accused as they were convicted for two years and sanctioning bail to them was within the jurisdiction of the District and Session Court.

Soma Majumder was brutally tortured for protesting against some friends of her husband who on the previous night got her husband drunk and left him on the side of the road when he passed out.

The Democratic Women’s Association, the women wing of the ruling CPI(M) took the lead. Initially police ignored the matter, registering a case under minor section to facilitate their bail. Subsequently the matter came to light when the footage of the incident was telecasted on local TV channels.

The then Governor of Tripura, P.B. Acharya intervened and forced the police to apply appropriate sections of the CrPC and for the court to cancel their bail. All the 20 accused med in the FIR were arrested and was in jail for six months before getting bail. However, the judge acquitted 13 of them for lack of evidence.