Jalpaiguri: Court sentences man to death for killing wife and daughter
Jalpaiguri: The Jalpaiguri Additional Sessions Court has sentenced a man to death for murdering his wife and daughter.
On Tuesday, Third Court Judge Biplab Roy delivered the sentence, nearly two years after the crime.
The accused, Lal Singh Oraon, was found guilty of killing his wife, Sakhi Oraon, and their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Mamta.
Lal Singh Oraon and Sakhi Oraon lived with their two daughters and a son. Sakhi worked as a tea garden labourer at Looksan Tea Estate, while Lal Singh was unemployed and allegedly addicted to alcohol. He frequently abused his wife, demanding money for alcohol, leading to frequent domestic disputes.
On March 27, 2023. a heated argument over money escalated. According to police reports, Lal Singh’s brother, Panna Lal Oraon, who lived in an adjacent room, heard distressing sounds late at night. Entering the room, he found Sakhi and Mamta lifeless in a pool of blood, while Lal Singh lay near the door with self-inflicted injuries.
Neighbours, alerted by Panna Lal’s screams, rushed to the scene and took Lal Singh to Shulkapada Rural Hospital before he was transferred to Jalpaiguri Medical College. Upon recovering from surgery, he was arrested following a complaint filed by his mother-in-law, Budni Oraon. Investigations revealed that Lal Singh had attacked his wife and daughter with an axe while they were asleep. He then attempted to stage the crime as a robbery, inflicting a stab wound on himself and falsely claiming intruders had killed his family.
Public Prosecutor Prosenjit Deb stated, “There were 13 witnesses in this case, including the accused’s brother, Panna Lal Oraon. Based on the evidence, the court sentenced Lal Singh Oraon to death.”
District Superintendent of Police Khandbahale Umesh Ganpath commended the swift action taken by authorities.
“The accused was arrested soon after the incident. Investigating Officer Jyotish Chandra Barman conducted a thorough investigation and promptly filed the charge sheet.” “Justice has been served. He should immediately be hung,” stated Budni Oraon.
