Cooch Behar: Twelve CPI-M members were
today sentenced to life imprisonment for killing two Congress
leaders 25 years ago.
Additional district and sessions judge (special court)
Bibek Chaudhury also fined each of them Rs 5,000, failing
which they would be imprisoned for an additional six months.
The judge had convicted the 12 yesterday for the
crime.
During the two-and-half-decade-long trial, eight of
the total 23 accused in the case had died and three others
were acquitted by the court.
Congress leaders Mahesh Basunia and Gorachand Roy were
brutally killed inside a mini bus on August 7, 1985 after it
was intercepted on the road by the CPI-M members and other
occupants of the bus were forced to leave.
Other Congressmen accompanying Basunia and Roy to a
peace meeting at Gopalganj in Cooch Behar district were
injured when they tried to resist.
One of the injured Tushar Kanti Roy had lodged the FIR
at Mathabhanga police station, following which the police
framed charge sheets against 23 accused.
The 12 convicted members were awarded two years
rigorous imprisonment by the court on another charge and
ordered to pay Rs 1000 as in default of which serve an
additional two-month prison term.
CPI-M leaders when contacted said they would appeal to
the higher court against the judgement.
-PTI
