Judgment in Dr Deben Dutta murder case to be delivered on September 30

Jorhat: The judgment in the sensational Teok tea estate doctor murder case will be delivered on September 30, one year and one month after the incident. Jorhat District and Sessions Judge Robin Phukan passed the order on Monday to deliver the judgement after hearing the arguments of both sides.

The oral argument of the case was held for three consecutive days from September 15 to September 17. The court also fixed today for further hearing of the case which was concluded after a day-long hearing. Earlier, the written argument was submitted by both the parties on September 8 where engaged advocate for the 32 accused persons, Anup Kumar Dutta submitted 828 pages of written argument while special public prosecutor Durga Prasad Jaiswal, who represents the State, submitted 94 pages of written argument. Dutta argued the case for about eight hours in two consecutive days before the court on September 16 and September 17.

On August 31, 2019 the doctor of Teok tea estate hospital, Dr Deben Dutta was assaulted by a mob holding him responsible for the death of a patient identified as Samra Majhi of the tea garden. Later, the doctor was rushed to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital where he was declared dead. Police arrested 32 persons in connection with the incident from the tea estate within four days and sent them behind bars. All the arrested persons are still in judicial custody for more than a year and no one has been allowed to go on bail so far. Three brothers of the deceased Samra Majhi, who accompanied him to the hospital, were also arrested by police and are in judicial custody.

Several organizations, including Indian Medical Association (IMA), strongly condemned the incident and declared 24 hours strike by doctors in the State. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal ordered a probe into the incident and entrusted a Commissioner-Secretary to the government to conduct the probe.

A special investigation team headed by then Jorhat Superintendent of Police Baibhav Chandrakant Nimbalkar conducted the investigation of the case and submitted 612 pages charge-sheet against 32 accused persons. Besides other sections of law, section 302 (Punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code and section 4 of Assam Medicare service persons and Medicare service institutions (Prevention of violence and damage to property) Act 2011 were charged against the accused persons. Altogether 56 witnesses deposed their evidence to prove the case. Of tem, seven witnesses are being kept under witness protection scheme. Besides common people in the State, the doctors' fraternity, health workers and several organizations have a close watch on the case and are waiting for its judgment.

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