Kolkata: Five constables of Reserve Force of Kolkata Police were sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering traffic sergeant Bapi Sen on December 31, 2002.

The city sessions court judge, Basudev Majumdar sentenced the five constables Sridam Bauri, Madhusudan Charkararty, Pijush Gaswami, Mujibur Rahman and Shekhar Mitra.

The five constables were awarded life imprisonment for their conviction under IPC sec 302 (murder) read with section 34 (criminal act in furtherance of common intent). They were also fined Rs 10,000 each under section 354 (assault on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) also read with section 34. In case of failure to pay the fine they would have to undergo six months rigorous imprisonment.

Bapi Sen, a young traffic sergeant, had been severely assaulted by the five constables when he tried to save a woman from being molested during New Year's revelry on the night of December 31, 2002. Sen had succumbed to his injuries later.

Incidentally the woman, who had been attacked by the five convicts, never came forward to become a witness.

A total of 41 witnesses were produced by the prosecution in support of their case, which included eyewitnesses, doctors who treated Bapi and forensic experts.