Hooghly court sentences 7 to life for murder of TMC leader Dilip Ram
Synopsis
Six years after TMC leader Dilip Ram was shot dead on Bandel railway tracks in a ₹3 lakh contract killing, a Hooghly sessions court has sentenced seven men to life imprisonment — but the alleged mastermind, Sakuntala Devi, and her son remain fugitives. Justice is partial, and the case is not yet closed.
Key Takeaways
A sessions court in Chinsurah, Hooghly sentenced seven persons to life imprisonment on 29 July for the murder of TMC leader Dilip Ram .
Ram was shot dead near Bandel railway station on 29 June 2019 while boarding a train.
The murder was allegedly a contract killing arranged by Samundri Yadav alias Sakuntala Devi , who reportedly paid ₹3 lakh to the hired killers.
The prosecution recorded statements of 39 witnesses , including 4 eyewitnesses , and matched the bullet with the firearm recovered from the accused.
The alleged mastermind Sakuntala Devi and her son remain at large; their trial will begin upon arrest.
Ram's wife Nitu Ram welcomed the conviction but said she would have preferred the death penalty.
A sessions court in Chinsurah, Hooghly district, West Bengal, on Wednesday, 29 July sentenced seven convicted persons to life imprisonment for the 2019 murder of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Dilip Ram near Bandel railway station. The convictions, handed down a day earlier on Tuesday, follow a six-year legal process that involved the testimonies of 39 witnesses and forensic ballistic evidence.
The Crime and the Conviction
On 29 June 2019, Dilip Ram — a TMC functionary who worked at the railway office in Naihati — was shot dead on the railway tracks while boarding a train at Bandel station. According to the prosecution, the killers had been tracking the Naihati local train from Platform No. 5 of Bandel station every day before executing the attack.
The seven individuals sentenced on Wednesday are: Mohammad Nasim alias Guddu, Saddam Hossain, Mangal Yadav, Baijnath Roy alias Hedek, Mohammad Akbar, Mohammad Shanu, and Mohammad Manu. All seven have been remanded to judicial custody.
What the Prosecution Established
Public Prosecutor Shankar Gangopadhyay said the chargesheet was filed by Investigating Officer Pradeep Da within 90 days of the incident. 'The statements of 39 people were recorded. It has been proven in court that the miscreants had conspired to kill Dilip Ram. The statements of four eyewitnesses in the case were testified and the matching of the bullet inside Dilip's head with the firearm recovered from the convicted persons were done,' Gangopadhyay said.
The Motive: Land Rivalry and a Contract Killing
According to reports, Ram's murder was the result of a land-related dispute with a local figure identified as Samundri Yadav alias Sakuntala Devi, described as a local drug mafia operative. The latter allegedly hired contract killers to eliminate Ram and reportedly paid ₹3 lakh to the hired assailants. Sakuntala Devi and her son remain at large; the prosecution has confirmed that a chargesheet has been filed against both of them and their trial will commence upon arrest.
Family's Reaction and Pending Accused
Ram's wife, Nitu Ram, expressed mixed feelings over the verdict. 'However, I am happy over the manner in which the police probed my husband's death and the manner in which the public prosecutor argued the case in the court,' she said. She added that she would have preferred the death sentence for the seven convicts. The main accused — Sakuntala Devi and her son — remain missing, and their trial is pending arrest. This case underscores a pattern of political violence in West Bengal linked to local land and criminal networks, with the judicial process now delivering accountability for at least seven of the alleged perpetrators.
Point of View
But the Dilip Ram case exposes a deeper problem: the alleged mastermind remains a fugitive six years after the crime. West Bengal's political violence ecosystem — where land disputes, drug networks, and local party machinery intersect — rarely sees its architects face trial. Until Sakuntala Devi is produced in court, this verdict is justice delivered to the foot soldiers, not the chain of command. The state's ability to pursue absconding accused in such politically sensitive cases will be the real test.
NationPress
29 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Dilip Ram and how was he killed?
Dilip Ram was a local Trinamool Congress leader who worked at the railway office in Naihati. He was shot dead on 29 June 2019 on the railway tracks near Bandel railway station in Hooghly district while boarding a train, in what the prosecution established was a pre-planned contract killing.
Who are the seven persons sentenced to life imprisonment?
The seven convicts are Mohammad Nasim alias Guddu, Saddam Hossain, Mangal Yadav, Baijnath Roy alias Hedek, Mohammad Akbar, Mohammad Shanu, and Mohammad Manu. All seven have been remanded to judicial custody following the sentencing on 29 July.
What was the motive behind Dilip Ram's murder?
According to reports, the murder stemmed from a land-related rivalry between Ram and a local figure identified as Samundri Yadav alias Sakuntala Devi. Sakuntala Devi allegedly hired contract killers and paid ₹3 lakh to have Ram eliminated.
Is the main accused in the case in custody?
No. The alleged mastermind Sakuntala Devi and her son remain at large. A chargesheet has been filed against both of them, and their trial will commence once they are arrested.
What evidence was used to secure the conviction?
The prosecution recorded statements of 39 witnesses, including 4 eyewitnesses. Forensic evidence — specifically the matching of a bullet recovered from the victim's head with a firearm seized from the accused — was a key factor in securing the conviction, according to Public Prosecutor Shankar Gangopadhyay.
