Dibrugarh Court Clears Prime Accused in 2014 AMCH Murder; Convicts Ward Boy

Guwahati: Dr. Deepmoni Saikia, the main defendant in the 2014 Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) murder case, has been cleared of all murder-related charges after nearly ten years of trial. On Wednesday, a Dibrugarh court cleared him of the murder allegations while convicting the other party, a ward child.

The court rendered its decision nine years after Sarita Toshniwal, an AMCH medical student, was brutally killed by her senior and a ward boy on May 9, 2014.

Notably, the plot to assassinate Sarita was devised in April by a doctor named Deepmoni Saikia, who was a second-year PG student in the obstetrics and gynaecology department of AMCH. To carry out the plot, the doctor enlisted the aid of a ward boy named Keru Mech. The dead and Deepmoni used to work in the same department.

“Deepmoni and Saikia had a cordial relationship. But they were not on good terms for the last few months. Deepmoni used to call Sarita on her mobile but she never responded. After being spurned by her, he decided to take revenge. He hatched a plan and sought the help of Kiru. He manipulated Kiru by promising that he would make his job permanent. He even threatened to fire him if he refuses,” the police informed after arresting the accused.

“On May 8, Deepmoni was allotted night duty along with Sarita, but he remained absent citing illness. Sarita was alone on duty. The ward boy and a nurse were also on duty. The next morning (May 9), Deepmoni and Kiru committed the crime after the on-duty nurse left,” the police said.

According to the officials, Sarita yelled loudly after Kiru attempted to choke her while she was sleeping. Then, as she tried to escape, Deepmoni forcibly pinned her to the ground.

The victim’s clothes were removed after the crime and the accused sexually assaulted her, according to the police. The perpetrator was not pleased with killing her.