7 men who killed 23-yr-old in 2020, chopped body into pieces, get death penalty

Police said the eighth accomplice, who helped dispose of the body, has been sentenced to seven years in jail

KOLKATA: Seven persons were sentenced to death by a court in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Thursday in connection with a 2020 murder case in which a 23-year-old man was abducted, strangled and his body chopped into six pieces.

Bishnu Mal, was abducted near his residence by Bishal Das, who was involved in multiple criminal cases, and his associates (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

“The killers didn’t stop even after chopping his body into pieces. They laughed and slapped the severed head and put a price tag on it. The body parts were dumped in ponds and along the Delhi Road. It was one of the rarest of the rare cases. The murder had sent a shockwave in the society,” said special public prosecutor Bibhas Chattopadhyay after a court pronounced the verdict.

Police said the victim, Bishnu Mal, was abducted near his residence by Bishal Das, who was involved in multiple criminal cases, and his associates. Das was angry with him because he was in a relationship with a woman who had rejected his overtures, and masterminded the murder. Bishnu Mal’s body pieces were dumped in different locations.

One of the nine accused arrested in the case turned into an approver and testified against his associates.

Chattopadhyay said the court sentenced Das and six others to death while the eighth accused, who was roped in to dispose of the body, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

Bishal Das, the prime accused who had tattooed the woman’s name on his arm, had fled after the gruesome murder but was later arrested in connection with a shootout in South 24 Parganas over 120km away.

The prosecutor said they produced 34 witnesses against the accused.

Bishal Das’s lawyer said they would appeal against the conviction.