Final judgement on Dr Deben Dutta mob lynching case soon

JORHAT: The sensational Dr Deben Dutta mob lynching incident at Teok Tea Estate in Jorhat district is coming close to a conclusion in the court of the district and sessions judge Jorhat. According to information, the case is now in the argument stage, just a step before the delivery of final judgment. On Tuesday, the date was fixed for argument and accordingly, advocates of both sides submitted written argument. Advocate for the accused, Anup Kumar Dutta and Bonosmita Borah, submitted written argument containing 828 pages for all the 32 accused in the case while advocate Gauri Prasad Jaiswal, on behalf of prosecution side, submitted 94 pages written argument before the court. The court fixed the date for oral argument on September 15.

Dr. Deben Dutta (73), the resident doctor of Teok Tea garden hospital, was assaulted to death by a mob on August 31, 2019 following the death of a tea garden worker identified as Samra Majhi, at the hospital. Tea garden workers had alleged that the patient died due to negligence on the part of the doctor. They became angry and a section of people allegedly assaulted him to death at his chamber in the hospital.

Several organizations had staged Statewide protest against the killing of the senior doctor. Indian Medical Association and Assam Medical Service Association also demanded punishment for the guilty and threatened to withdraw their services unless their demands were fulfilled. The organizations also demanded to try the case in a fast-track court. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal assured the organization to address their demands.

Police had arrested 32 persons within five days of the incident and submitted charge sheet against all of them within 22 days of the incident under section 302/ 341/ 342/ 427/ 506/143/ 144/ 147/ 148/ 149/ 186 of the Indian Penal Code and section 4 of The Assam Medicare Service persons and Medicare service institutions (Prevention of violence and damage to property) Act 2011. Police also named 60 persons, including locals, tea garden employees, doctor's family member, hospital staff, journalists, police, forensic experts and tea garden management staffs as witnesses of the case.

Later, the trial of the case began int the court of the Sessions Judge, Jorhat on October 3, 2019. During trial, as many as 56 witnesses were examined and evidence was closed on July 10, 2020. The court also recorded statements of the accused persons on eight dates from July 13 to August 10 and fixed for argument on Tuesday.

In the case, all the accused persons are behind the bars for more than a year and no one has been released on bail till date. Three brothers of deceased Samra Majhi are in judicial custody and are among the accused persons.

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