Seven Men Sentenced to Death for Brutal 2020 Murder and Dismemberment of 23-Year-Old in Hooghly

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, Kolkata, November 29, 2024: A court in Hooghly district, West Bengal, has sentenced seven men to death for the 2020 murder and brutal dismemberment of 23-year-old Bishnu Mal. The crime, which shocked the local community, involved the victim being abducted, strangled, and his body chopped into six pieces by the perpetrators.

The court convicted the men, including the prime accused Bishal Das, for their roles in the horrific killing. The motive behind the murder stemmed from a personal dispute, as Das was enraged that Mal was in a relationship with a woman he had been pursuing. After the murder, the body parts of the victim were scattered in various locations in an attempt to destroy evidence.

Special Public Prosecutor Bibhas Chattopadhyay described the case as "one of the rarest of the rare," highlighting the gruesome nature of the crime. "The killers didn’t stop even after chopping his body into pieces. They laughed and slapped the severed head, even putting a price tag on it," Chattopadhyay said. "This murder sent a shockwave through society."

The investigation, led by the Chandernagore Police Commissionerate, was a complex one. Despite initial setbacks, including the failure to recover the victim’s head, sustained interrogation and efforts eventually led to the discovery of all body parts. The head was ultimately recovered from Canning, thanks to the determination of the investigating officers. A key breakthrough came when one of the accused turned approver and testified against his associates, aiding in the prosecution's case.

The eight accused involved in the murder were arrested following the crime. While seven men, including Bishal Das, were sentenced to death, the eighth accomplice, who helped dispose of the body, received a seven-year prison term.

One of the nine accused turned approver, testifying against the others and aiding in securing the convictions. A total of 34 witnesses were presented in court. 

Das, who had a tattoo of the woman's name on his arm, initially fled the area after the murder but was later apprehended in South 24 Parganas, over 120 km away, during a shootout incident in South 24 Parganas, more than 120 kilometers away..

The police, after initially failing to recover the victim’s head, managed to trace it to Canning after prolonged interrogation of the accused. The investigation was challenging, but the police were ultimately able to recover all body parts and bring the perpetrators to justice.