The Jangipur sub-divisional court has pronounced its verdict in the murder of a father and son in Jafrabad, Murshidabad, amidst the violence surrounding the Waqf Act. Justice Amitabh Mukherjee sentenced 13 convicts to life imprisonment. The judge also ordered compensation of Rs 15 lakhs to the families of the deceased Chandan Das and Haragobinda Das. The 13 individuals were convicted on Monday, December 22 and the sentence was pronounced today.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari expressed dissatisfaction with the sentence. He commented that death penalty should have been given. He also stated that he would challenge the verdict in the High Court.
Haragobinda Das and Chandan Das murder case Murshidabad
In April this year, following the implementation of the Waqf Act, people from the minority community took to the streets in protest. Like other parts of the country, West Bengal also witnessed temporary unrest related to the Waqf act. Scenes of violence were seen in Muslim majority areas of Murshidabad, Malda, and the Sundarbans.
Amidst this, on April 12, in Jafrabad, Shamsherganj of Murshidabad, a father and son from a local Hindu family lost their lives, although they had no connection to the protests against the Waqf Act. It was alleged that father Haragobinda Das and son Chandan Das were hacked to death after being caught in the middle of the protests. This further fuelled the unrest. The incident occurred amid protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which turned into large-scale rioting and arson.
Haragobinda Das (72) and his son Chandan Das (40) were attacked and killed on April 12, 2025. They were residents of Jafrabad, under the Samserganj police station area. According to police reports and the subsequent chargesheet, a mob broke into their home, dragged them out, and hacked them to death in front of family members. The attack was part of a larger riot where houses were vandalized and torched, forcing many residents to flee.
Murshidabad father son murder case verdict
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed by Murshidabad district police to investigate the murders. The accused were arrested one by one, and the trial began. The hearing continued at the Jangipur sub-divisional court until December 16. On December 22, Monday, Justice Amitabh Mukherjee pronounced the verdict, convicting 13 people for the hacking and murder of the father and son.
According to sources, the judge pronounced life imprisonment on Tuesday under sections 103(2), 310(2), 331(5), 191(3), 125(2), 126(2), 332(A), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The convicts are Diladar Nadab, Asmaul Nadab, Inzamul Haque, Ziaul Haque, Fekarul Sheikh, Azfarul Sheikh, Monirul Sheikh, Iqbal Sheikh, Nurul Islam, Saba Karim, Hazrat Sheikh, Akbar Ali, and Yusuf Sheikh.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari to challenge verdict in High Court
Regarding this, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari reacted stating that Hindu residents Chandan Das and Hargobind Das were brutally murdered by fundamentalists. The killers should have been given the death penalty. This verdict is not satisfactory. Suvendu Adhikari has stated that he will challenge the verdict in the High Court.