Dibrugarh: Assam Police constable Bicky Chetia was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Dibrugarh, on Tuesday in connection with the 2022 murder of his wife, Jayashree Chetia.Additional District and Sessions Judge Rupak Rajak, who delivered the judgment, also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Chetia. In default of payment, he will have to undergo an additional three months’ imprisonment.Chetia had been accused of shooting his wife with his service carbine inside their official quarters in Dibrugarh on March 14, 2022. At the time, he was attached to Dibrugarh police station and serving as the personal security officer (PSO) of a foreigners tribunal judge posted in the city.According to the case details, the incident occurred at around 1 am. Police recovered the service weapon and two spent cartridges from the scene. Jayashree had sustained two bullet injuries, including wounds to her chest and neck.Chetia was arrested after the incident and a murder case was registered against him. During the initial investigation, he reportedly admitted to shooting his wife but did not immediately disclose the reason for the killing. He later referred to a dispute between the couple and expressed resentment over his wife’s frequent use of social media.The couple married on Aug 12, 2018, and were residing in official quarters within the police reserve near Dibrugarh police station.The case was investigated by sub-inspector Prasanna Narayan Sharma. Additional public prosecutors Chinmoyee Dutta and Nilutpal Phukan represented the prosecution before the court.Tuesday’s verdict was part of a series of convictions in Dibrugarh, with the court sentencing five accused to life imprisonment in separate murder cases and another accused to four years’ rigorous imprisonment in an attempted murder case.Besides Chetia, Sukram Murah and Rajib Chungkrang, who were accused in a double-murder case, and Raju Chetia and Dipu Mech were each sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000. Each will have to undergo an additional three months’ imprisonment if the fine is not paid.In another case, Putul Gorh was sentenced to four years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1,000. In default of payment, Gorh will have to undergo an additional seven days’ imprisonment.The prosecution described the convictions as a significant development in the disposal of serious criminal cases in the district. The cases were argued by Additional Public Prosecutors Chinmoyee Dutta and Nilutpal Phukan.Speaking to the media, Additional Public Prosecutor Chinmoyee Dutta said the convictions in the five murder cases were a significant development in the prosecution of serious crimes in the district.“These five cases involved serious offences and the convictions are an important step towards ensuring justice for the victims and their families. The prosecution presented the evidence before the court, and we are satisfied with the outcome of these cases,” Dutta said.
