Three convicts have been sentenced to life imprisonment in the Hanskhali gangrape case, which led to the victim’s death. The Ranaghat court pronounced the verdict on Tuesday, December 23. Sohail Gayali, Prabhakar Poddar, and Ranjit Mallick have reportedly been given this sentence. In addition, the then-Panchayat member Samarendra Goyal has been sentenced to five years in this case.
The incident of rape and murder of a minor girl took place in Hanskhali, Nadia district of West Bengal, in 2022. The CBI investigated the case on the court’s order.
On December 22, 2025, the Ranaghat Additional District Judge (ADJ) court held all nine accused guilty. Brajagopal Goali, Prabhakar Poddar, and Ranjit Mallick were among those convicted for the gangrape. Other accomplices were found guilty of conspiracy and joint liability.
After almost three years, the victim’s family felt relieved by the announcement of the sentence. The family members of the deceased broke down in tears.
Hanskhali gang-rape and murder case 2022
On April 4, 2022, a 14-year-old girl was gangraped at a birthday party held for Brajagopal Goali (also known as Sohail), the son of a local Trinamool Congress (TMC) panchayat leader. The teenage girl was allegedly gang-raped after being invited to a birthday party in Hanskhali. Following rape, the accused left the victim in a bloody state and fled. The girl died the following day (April 5) due to excessive bleeding. Her body was cremated before post-mortem to destroy evidence. It was alleged that this was done without even waiting for the victim’s death certificate.
The incident caused a stir across the state. West Bengal Police started an investigation. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee faced criticism for initially questioning if the incident was a “love affair” or related to pregnancy, rather than gangrape.
CBI took over investigation
A case was also filed in the Calcutta High Court demanding a CBI investigation. Due to the political sensitivity and concerns over local police partiality, the Calcutta High Court transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 12, 2022. Several accused were arrested.
In July 2022, the CBI filed a chargesheet against nine individuals. Three primary accused were charged under the POCSO Act and IPC Section 376DA (gangrape of a minor under 16).
Verdict
The trial began in the Ranaghat court on Monday, December 22, 2025 and the judge convicted nine accused. On Tuesday, the sentences were pronounced. The court premises were under tight security since this morning. Members of the public were also present in the court premises. The convicts were brought to the court at the appointed time. The judge pronounced their sentences later in the day. The family members of the deceased broke down in tears after hearing the verdict.
The judge sentenced Braj alias Sohail Goyali, Ranjit Mallick, and Prabhakar Poddar to life imprisonment. All three were accused of gang rape. The judge sentenced Sohail’s father, local Trinamool leader Samar Goyal, to five years in prison. He was accused of complicity in the incident and destroying evidence. According to reports, two of the nine individuals involved are minors. They have been fined 50,000 taka each. The court has ordered their release on bail under supervision.
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