The Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Goalpara, on Thursday pronounced judgement in the sensationsl Foreigners’ Tribunal (FT) member Justice Ajay Kumar Phukan assault case of 2017 and sentenced seven out of eight advocates to two years’ imprisonment along with fine.
However, all the convicts granted bail in the case on the same day.
The advocates against whom the verdict has been announced include Najrul Islam, Omar Faruk Choudhury, Shahjahan Ali, Mir Abdul Baten, Abdul Hamid, Moinul Hoque and Anower Hussain. However, the court acquitted advocate Anisur Hoque.
The court of Ipsita Birthakur in her 98-page judgement convicted all the seven advocates under Sections 147/448/323 and 333 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and also under Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.
The Section 147 refers to rioting, 448 refers to house trespass, 333 and 323 both refer to voluntarily causing grievous hurt to a public servant.
The incident took place on February 15, 2017 when a group of advocates went to the member of Foreigners’ Tribunal No 4, Phukan, for tagging seven persons from the Boguan area of West Goalpara as ‘D’ (Doubtful) voters.
Subsequently, the advocates allegedly physically assaulted the member which created statewide protests. Justice Phukan filed a case at the Goalpara Police Station following the incident. The police filed chargesheet after inquiry on March 24, 2017 against eight advocates out of whom seven were convicted.