Gauhati High Court commutes death sentence to life imprisonment in 2021 Dhemaji college student murder case

The Gauhati High Court on Wednesday, August 5 commuted the death sentence awarded to a convict in the 2021 murder of college student Nandita Saikia in Assam's Dhemaji district, modifying the punishment to life imprisonment while upholding his conviction.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury delivered the judgment, granting relief to convict Rintu Sarma from capital punishment. The court modified the sentence imposed by the Dhemaji District and Sessions Court, directing that Sarma serve life imprisonment instead.

The case pertains to the murder of Nandita Saikia, a student of Moridhal College, who was attacked on August 21, 2021. Following the incident, the trial court had convicted Sarma and awarded him the death penalty, describing the offence as heinous.

Sarma challenged the trial court's verdict before the Gauhati High Court, seeking commutation of his death sentence. After hearing the appeal, the High Court upheld the conviction but reduced the sentence from death to life imprisonment.

According to court records, Sarma, a Grade-IV employee at Moridhal College, attacked Nandita Saikia with a machete after she had reportedly rejected his marriage proposal. The attack occurred while she was returning home with her father and a friend.

Saikia sustained grievous injuries in the assault and was initially treated at a local medical facility before being referred to a hospital in Dibrugarh. She succumbed to her injuries five days later.

The High Court's order modifies only the quantum of punishment awarded by the trial court, with the conviction against the accused remaining unchanged.