KOLKATA: Four persons were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment till death on Friday for the hooch tragedy in Sangrampur in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal that claimed 172 lives in 2011.
Apart from sending prime accused Noor Islam Fakir alias Khora Badshah and his associates Dukhi Laskar, Khairul Laskar and Nazmul alias Kola Laskar to the prison, sixth additional district and sessions judge Parthasarathy Chakraborty of Alipore court on Friday also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each of them.
The court had found the four persons guilty of the crime and convicted them on Thursday under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 273 (sale of noxious food or drink) of Indian Penal Code and under West Bengal Excise Act.
Speaking after the judgment, prime accused Khora Badshah claimed he was innocent. "I was convicted in a wrong way and the people who were guilty are scot-free. I did not make liquor there," he said. Badshah has been convicted under Sections 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 328 (causing hurt by means of poison with intent to commit an offence) of IPC.
Badshah's wife Shakila Bibi and other accused Ayub Ali Laskar, Giasuddin Laskar, Khairunnesa Bewa, Moinuddin Gazi and Rabiul Laskar were acquitted by the court on Thursday due to lack of evidence against them. Two accused Atiul Laskar and Yasin Jamadar are still at large.
Some 172 people were killed due to consumption of spurious liquor sold by Badshah at Mograhat, Usthi and Mandirbazar areas of South 24 Parganas district on December 11, 2011.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for each of the victims. Cases were booked in three separate police stations of the district. Investigation was handed over to the state Crime Investigation Department (CID).