Hindu father-son murder due to Murshidabad Waqf violence: 13 Muslims get life imprisonment.

Murshidabad Riots Case: Court Awards Life Imprisonment to 13 Muslim Convicts in Hindu Father–Son Murder during New Waqf Law Protest.

Somenath Pal Choudhuri | HENB | Kolkata | Dec 23, 2025:: The Sub-Divisional Court at Jangipur in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district has sentenced 13 Muslim individuals to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of Hargobindo Das and his son, Chandan Das, which occurred in April this year during communal unrest linked to protests against the new Waqf (Amendment) Act.

On Monday, Sub-Divisional Court Judge Amitabha Mukhopadhyay convicted all 13 accused after examining extensive evidence presented by the prosecution. The quantum of punishment was pronounced on Tuesday, amid tight security arrangements across the court complex, reflecting the sensitivity of the case.

Victims and Background

The deceased Hindu father and son were residents of Jafrabad village under the Samserganj Police Station in the Jangipur Police District of Murshidabad. According to the prosecution, the victims were attacked and killed while attempting to prevent rioting in their village. The victims were a bare minority surrounded by a majority Muslim population.

(Violent Graphics Warning. Don’t play this video, if your heart is weak)
Last moments of Hargobinda Das and Chandan Das……

Eyewitness accounts revealed that the victims initially resisted the mob twice. However, the attackers later returned armed with weapons, dragged the father and son out of their residence, and killed them on the street. Another individual also lost his life during the same episode of communal violence.

Convicted Individuals

The 13 convicts, all devout Muslims, staunch followers of Allah, Quran, Muhammad, and Islam, sentenced to life imprisonment are:

• Dildar Nadab
• Asmaul Nadab
• Inzamul Haque
• Ziaul Haque
• Fekharul Sheikh
• Aazfarul Sheikh
• Munirul Sheikh
• Iqbal Sheikh
• Nurul Sheikh
• Saba Karim
• Hazrat Sheikh
• Akbar Ali
• Yusuf Sheikh

Many of the accused were reportedly neighbours of the Das family.

Court Observations and Political Reactions

While delivering the verdict, the court observed that the murders were not politically motivated, but rather driven by personal vendetta.

This observation was later highlighted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which claimed that the ruling had “exposed attempts to mislead the public and deflect responsibility” under the guise of protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

SIT Investigation and Evidence

The case was investigated by a 25-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by DIG Syed Waquar Raza. The SIT conducted raids across West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand, arresting the accused one after another.

Earlier this year, the SIT submitted a detailed 983-page chargesheet, describing the attack as pre-planned. The document outlined how the mob forcibly entered the Das residence, dragged the victims outside, and executed the killings.

ADG (Law & Order) Jawed Shamim stated that the prosecution relied heavily on eyewitness testimony, forensic evidence, and police investigations, adding, “We collected sufficient evidence and were confident of securing a conviction.”

High Court Intervention and Security Measures

In April, the Calcutta High Court ordered the formation of the SIT and directed the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the affected areas. A division bench comprising Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury observed that the measures taken by the West Bengal government to control communal unrest were inadequate.

The court further noted that had the CAPF been deployed earlier, the situation would not have become so “grave” and “volatile.”

Compensation and Further Legal Action

The family of the deceased rejected the compensation offered by the Trinamool Congress-led state government, but accepted financial assistance extended by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.

The victims were reportedly supporters of CPIM and became victims of Waqf violence, allegedly incited by WB CM Mamata Banerjee, as she vehemently protested the Waqf Amendment Act to satisfy her Muslim vote bank.

Meanwhile, the victims’ family has moved the Calcutta High Court, seeking a CBI investigation into the case, indicating that legal proceedings related to the Murshidabad riots may continue.

From some source, it is known that the victim’s family members conveyed their dissatisfaction with the judgement of life imprisonment, as two of the sections under which the culprits have been convicted carry the death penalty.

_Inputs from IANS.