A District and Sessions Court in Dhemaji on Thursday sentenced Rintu Sharma to death for the 2021 murder of college student Nandita Saikia, a case that had led to statewide protests and renewed calls for stronger measures to protect women in Assam.
The incident took place on 21 August 2021, when Sharma attacked Saikia near a bus stand in broad daylight, stabbing her repeatedly with a machete after she allegedly rejected his marriage proposal. Saikia, a student of Moridhal College, died five days later at a hospital in Dibrugarh.
Delivering the verdict, Judge Kalyanjit Saikia convicted Sharma under Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 326 (grievous hurt), 307 (attempt to murder), and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code. The judgment followed detailed arguments and examination of testimonies from 141 witnesses.
Police had earlier submitted a 400-page chargesheet, and the trial, registered as Dhemaji Police Station Case No. 397/2021, continued for four years. The court observed that the evidence, including witness accounts and forensic reports, established Sharma’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The killing and subsequent death of Saikia sparked widespread outrage across Assam in 2021. Student unions, women’s organisations, political leaders and civil society groups held protests demanding justice, swift trial, and stronger safeguards against gender-based violence.
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