Kolkata: Four persons were sentenced to life imprisonment by a district court for murdering an accused-turned-key prosecution witness in the kidnapping of city-based shoe baron Partha Roy Burman.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Barasat Court in North 24-Parganas district Chaitali Chattopadhyay sentenced the four to life imprisonment for murdering Rafiq Ahmed, at whose house Burman was confined for eight days after being abducted on July 23, 2001.
Sirajul Mallik, Pintu Mallik, Belu Mondal and Nazrul Mondal were sentenced after being convicted yesterday by the judge for the murder under section 302 of IPC apart from other charges like conspiracy.
Ahmed was murdered on July 17, 2002, after he turned a key prosecution witness in the case.
Dubai-based terrorist Aftab Ansari, sentenced to death in the American Center shootout that left five policemen dead, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a city court on May 21, 2009 for conspiring to kidnap Burman for ransom.
It was claimed that Rs 3.75 crore was paid as ransom to get him released, which Burman and his family has denied.
The shoe baron, who is the managing director of Khadim Shoe Company, was kidnapped in broad daylight near his factory at Tiljala in the southern outskirts of the metropolis and was taken to a safe house at Haroa in North 24-Parganas district.
The house, owned by Ahmed, was taken on rent by the kidnappers.
PTI
