Life for twin hotel murders

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, March 18: The additional sessions judge (first court) today sentenced two youths to life imprisonment for murdering the assistant manager and a waiter of a hotel here in 2012.

On January 21, 2012, Sandip Rai, assistant manager of Hotel Meghma, and waiter Md. Mustafa were found dead with their throats slit and injuries in the abdomen at the annexe to the hotel. Shakti Mondal, 24, and Sanju Roy, 26, were arrested in the case.

Public prosecutor Pranay Rai said: "Partha Pratim Chowdhury, additional sessions judge (first court), sentenced Shakti Mondal and Sanju Roy, both from Matigara in Siliguri, to life imprisonment. The judge had also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on each and if they fail to pay, the imprisonment will be extended for another six months."

The 10-room annexe on Gandhi Road, three buildings away from the main hotel, was empty on January 21, 2012, and some rooms were under renovation. A bank operated from the building and it was suspected that Mustafa was killed because he had keys to a door that linked the annexe to the bank that the murderers wanted to rob and Rai was killed because he was a witness.

"On January 19, 2012, Jayanta Biswas, who worked as a plumber at the annexe, told cook Abhinam Thapa and Mustafa that he wanted to work in the hotel. Next day, Biswas and three others came and they were asked to stay in room 102," said Rai. He was with Shakti Mondol, Sanju Roy and Kishore Roy, all from Matigara. "On January 21, 2012, Sailendra Gurung, supervisor of the construction, and Thapa saw a body in room 102 that was locked up from outside."

Mondol and Roy were arrested after tracing a cellphone location. Biswas and Kishore Roy are untraceable.