Ranaghat: An additional district and session judge’s court in Ranaghat sentenced prime accused Brajagopal Gayali (Sohail), son of Trinamool Congress leader Samarendra Gayali, to life imprisonment on Tuesday in connection with gang rape and subsequent death of a class nine girl in Hanskhali of Nadia that occurred in April 2022.
Two other accused Prabhakar Poddar and Ranjit Mullick have also been awarded life term imprisonment, while Trinamool leader Samarendra Gayala, Dipta Gayali and two others were sentenced to five years imprisonment. The court on Monday had convicted nine people in connection with the case. The investigation was conducted by the CBI as per the directive of the Calcutta High court.
The court held the nine persons were found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including provisions related to gang rape, criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation, destruction and suppression of evidence, and snatching, along with Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to the prosecution case, on April 4, 2022, the minor girl attended a birthday party organised for Brajagopal (Sohail) Gayali at his residence. During the course of the party, she was subjected to gang rape. She returned home in a critical condition and was bleeding profusely and eventually died without treatment.
The girl’s parents stated that they were prevented by the accused and their associates from taking her to a hospital. She was allegedly treated by a local unregistered medical practitioner before her condition deteriorated and she died.
The prosecution further stated that after her death, the body was forcibly taken away by the accused and their associates and cremated at a local crematorium without a post-mortem examination or a death certificate. It was alleged that political influence was used to carry out the cremation and that kerosene was used to hasten the process, thereby destroying forensic evidence