Silchar : In a landmark judgment delivered more than two decades after the crime shook the town, the Court of the Additional Sessions Judge (Fast Track Court), Cachar, on Wednesday sentenced three persons to life imprisonment in the sensational 2004 Munna Mazumder murder case.

The court, presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Bankim Sharma, convicted cloth trader Dhanraj Surana, a resident of Swarupa Complex in Janiganj, Silchar, along with his two employees – Ratan Debnath and Rinku Deb alias Madhusudan Deb, both residents of Udharbond – under Sections 302/34 of the Indian Penal Code for murder committed with common intention.

The deceased, Munna Mazumder, a resident of Shiv Colony in Silchar, had been working at Surana Textiles, owned by Dhanraj Surana.

According to case records, the incident dates back to November 5, 2004, when Mazumder was taken to Silchar Medical College and Hospital by Surana and the two employees. Doctors at the hospital declared him brought dead. The circumstances surrounding his death triggered widespread suspicion and unrest in the town.

As news of the incident spread, tension escalated across Silchar, prompting the district administration to impose curfew to prevent further deterioration of the law and order situation. The case quickly became one of the most talked-about criminal incidents in Cachar district at the time.

In the midst of the tense atmosphere, the victim’s sister, Ratna Mazumder, lodged a First Information Report (FIR), alleging that her brother had been murdered. In her complaint, she named Dhanraj Surana, Ratan Debnath and Rinku Deb as the accused.

Following the FIR, police launched an investigation, collected evidence, examined witnesses and eventually filed a charge sheet against the three accused. The case was subsequently committed to the Sessions Court, where trial proceedings continued over the years.

After examining witnesses and evaluating the evidence presented during the prolonged trial, the Fast Track Court on February 25, 2026, found all three accused guilty of murder with common intention.

In addition to life imprisonment, the court imposed a fine of Rs. 20,000 on each of the convicts. In default of payment, they will have to undergo an additional six months of simple imprisonment.

The verdict brings closure to a case that had remained etched in public memory in Silchar for over two decades, marking a significant moment in the district’s judicial history.