Murshidabad Violence: 13 Sentenced To Life For Lynching Father And Son During Waqf Act Protests

A fast-track court in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district has sentenced 13 individuals to life imprisonment for their role in the brutal lynching of a 72-year-old man and his 42-year-old son amid violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act earlier this year. The verdict was delivered on Tuesday, bringing legal closure to one of the most disturbing incidents linked to the unrest in the region.

The court also directed the West Bengal government to provide ₹15 lakh in compensation to the victims’ family. The victims, identified as Haragobinda Das and his son Chandan Das, were attacked and killed by a mob at their home in Jafrabad village under the Samserganj police station area on April 12.

Special public prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee described the case as historically significant, noting that it marked only the second conviction for mob lynching in India and the first such conviction in West Bengal. Although the prosecution had sought the death penalty, arguing that the crime fell under the “rarest of rare” category, the court awarded life sentences.

In addition to life imprisonment for murder, each of the convicted individuals was sentenced to 10 years in jail for dacoity, another 10 years for house trespass, and five years for rioting. The court ordered that all sentences would run simultaneously.

Authorities stated that the state government would decide whether to challenge the verdict in the Calcutta High Court. Violence had erupted in Murshidabad between April 8 and April 12 following the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Act in Parliament, prompting the deployment of central forces to restore law and order.

The investigation, conducted by the West Bengal Police with assistance from the State Task Force and the Criminal Investigation Department, relied heavily on forensic evidence. DNA samples recovered from weapons seized from the accused were found to match those of the victims. The case was registered under Section 103(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to murder committed by a group.