Newspaper editor sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering 3 employees

Agartala: Editor-cum-proprietor of a local Bengali daily, Sushil Chowdhury, who was pronounced guilty in a triple murder case by a local court, was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment till the last day of his life with the judge noting that it was a 'rarest of the rare case'.

The 76-year-old editor of 'Dainik Gandoot' was present in court when the order was read out.

Special public prosecutor Dilip Sarkar, while initiating the hearing, sought capital punishment for Chowdhury for his direct involvement in the crime.

"Being an editor and owner of the newspaper, he was supposed to protect his employees but instead he killed three of his employees, Ranjit Chowdhury, Balaram Ghosh and Sujit Bhattacharjee," he told the packed court.

Hearing the charges against him, Chowdhury said, "I am innocent, I don't know who has killed them. Please pardon me considering my age."

Additional district and sessions judge West Tripura Kripankar Chakraborty replied, "It has been proved that you have killed three persons.

"It was a fit case for hanging the convict but considering his age, the convict Sushil Chowdhury is hereby sentenced to suffer imprisonment for life, means the whole natural life, that is till his death for the offence under section 302 read with 120 (B)/ 109 of IPC and to pay Rs 50,000 as fine."

Three employees of 'Danik Ganadoot', a vernacular daily were killed inside the newspaper office premises at Palace Compound in the heart of the city on May 19 last year sending shock waves across the entire state.

Investigating officer Manas Paul had submitted a 562-page charge sheet accusing Chowdhury of the gruesome incident before the court.

The additional district and sessions court, after hearing the case, held Chowdhury guilty in the triple murder case on July 14. The verdict sentencing the convict till last day of his natural life was pronounced today.