Court pronounces death penalty for killer of nine

Silchar, Jun 4 (UNI) A local court in Assam today pronounced death penalty for an accused for killing nine persons, including three children, way back in 1999.

Karimganj Additional district and sessions judge B Devnath in his 75-page judgment ordered Sonahar Ali(45) to be hanged to death for committing the heinous crime. As 15 others accused in the case were absconding, the court could not pronounce any judgment on them.

This is for the first time in the history of Karimganj court that a death penalty was pronounced.

Sources in the court said Sonahor Ali, a resident of Betubari village under Ratabari police station in the district, along with 15 others, attacked the house of Kuti Mian in the same village on December 15, 1999 night. The miscreants torched the house and then started firing indiscriminately. At the time of the attack Kuti Mian and his family members were sleeping inside the house. Nine members of the family, including Kuti Mian, five women and three children were killed on the spot.

Police said the attack was outcome of group clashes between two rival gangs of dacoits active in the area.

Case was registered against 15 persons for the attack. However over past nine years, police failed to arrest the accused persons except Sonahar Ali. The court had termed the remaining accused persons as absconders.

UNI XC KK DB1839