GUWAHATI: In the heart-wrenching case that had sent ripples of horror and disbelief in the district of Hailakandi, justice was swift as Kuchila Tripura was sentenced to imprisonment until death on Monday for killing his two young sons. The Additional District and Sessions Judge M.H. Barbhuiya delivered this landmark verdict just six months after the heinous crime had come to light, believed to be a rare case of speedy court proceedings in such cases of horrific nature.
The incident that happened on September 2, 2023, has engraved a scar in the community, especially this quiet hamlet of Katanala nestled along the Mizoram border. Two innocent children's lives were brutally cut short: one was Dhananjay Tripura, aged 7, and his 12-year-old brother Sarnajoy Tripura-in a manner that sent shockwaves amongst their neighbors and the nation.
Both the brothers had gone out to collect bamboo sticks near their house, a very routine task that would turn out to be the last in their lives. Meanwhile, unknown to them, it had been in the dark intents of their father, Kuchira, to commit such an abomination. With a weapon in his hand, he came upon the children and struck them with fatal blows to their heads, then threw their lifeless bodies into an abandoned pond in the dead of night.
The discovery of the bodies sent shockwaves through the village and set off a police investigation that moved with uncharacteristic speed. The case was registered under Katlicherra Police Station Case No. 192/23, as the prime suspect was identified as no other than their children's father and murderer. The police, through the speedy action of the local authorities, gathered evidence in no time and filed a charge sheet laying the ground for a speedy trial.
Public Prosecutor Shantanu Sharma attributed the efficiency of the legal process to the quick completion of the case and said that the charge sheet was submitted in proper time. Central to the case was the testimony of 15-year-old Santosh Tripura, the very son of the accused, whose harrowing eyewitness account was crucial to the conviction.
Judge Barbhuiya, while pronouncing the imprisonment for life, also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000. An act of mercy shown by the court was to ask the DLSA to pay compensation amount of Rs 5 lakh to the bereaved family as the loss suffered is irreparable.
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