Top News

The court convicted Ahmed and Begum under Sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC. (Photo: AT)

Sribhumi, July 29: A court in Assam's Sribhumi district has sentenced a 52-year-old man and his spouse to life imprisonment for the murder of the man's younger brother in 2016.

District and Sessions Judge A.S.B. Laskar found Sufian Ahmed and Hasina Begum guilty of murdering Suleman Ali at Behairdhala, under the jurisdiction of Ratabari Police Station, and imposed a life sentence on both.

Additionally, the court levied a fine of Rs 20,000 on each convict.

The ruling came after the court determined that the prosecution had convincingly established the charges through eyewitness accounts, medical reports, and scientific evidence.

The incident reportedly took place on June 8, 2016. The complainant, Amina Begum, the deceased's wife, testified that Suleman Ali was working on a shop construction on his property when he was allegedly attacked by Sufian Ahmed and Hasina Begum with a sharp object.

Suleman sustained severe injuries and was initially taken to Chargola Mini PHC before being referred to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for further treatment. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries later that day.

Following the incident, police apprehended both suspects and filed a chargesheet in court.

During the trial, the prosecution presented eight witnesses, while the defense called three witnesses to support their case.

The court dismissed the defense's claim that the accused were falsely implicated due to a property dispute, noting that minor discrepancies in witness statements did not diminish the reliability of the eyewitnesses.

It concluded that the prosecution's evidence was consistent on crucial aspects of the case.

The court also considered medical and forensic evidence, including the post-mortem report, which indicated multiple injuries on the victim, and forensic results that connected human blood to the weapon found during the investigation.

Determining that the prosecution had demonstrated the common intention of the accused in committing the crime, the court convicted Ahmed and Begum under Sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

Given the serious nature of the offense, the court sentenced both individuals to rigorous life imprisonment and imposed the mandated fine.