In a verdict that has shocked the nation, the Malda District and Sessions Court on Saturday sentenced Asif Mohammed, 23, to death for murdering four members of his family in what has come to be known as the “coffin killings” of 2021. The court deemed the crime as one of the “rarest of rare”, justifying capital punishment under Indian law.
Delivering the judgment, Judge Shubhayu Bandopadhyay found Asif guilty under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code.
The Crime That Stunned the Nation
The gruesome murders occurred on February 28, 2021, at the family’s residence in Malda, West Bengal. According to the only surviving member, Arif, the family — including their parents, grandmother, sister, and himself — was having lunch together. Asif, however, ate alone and asked his mother to bring him a soft drink upstairs.
Soon after, Arif reportedly lost consciousness. He later awoke to a nightmarish scene — bound hand and foot with cello tape, confined in a coffin-like box filled partially with water. Around him were four similar boxes, each containing the lifeless bodies of his family members.
The coffins had been placed in a secret chamber constructed by Asif in a newly built house adjacent to their home. The chamber was rigged with pipes pouring water into the coffins — an elaborate and horrifying method of execution meant to cause drowning.
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Survivor’s Escape and Revelation
Arif’s miraculous survival became the cornerstone of the investigation. He recounted a violent struggle with Asif, who attempted to drown and strangle him. In a desperate move, Arif fought back, broke free, and escaped through a hole in the wall into their older house.
When he confronted Asif, the accused chillingly responded:“Being part of the family was a mistake. You all would have been obstacles to my future.”
Asif also claimed the house was rigged with bombs and under surveillance, though this was never substantiated.
Delayed Discovery, Shocking Evidence
Although Arif escaped in 2021, it wasn’t until June 19, 2021, that the bodies were recovered. Acting on his formal complaint, police exhumed the decomposed remains from the kitchen floor of the new house.
Investigators also uncovered high-end computer equipment, large sums of cash, and disturbing evidence pointing to Asif’s involvement with the dark web, which allegedly influenced his planning and execution of the crime.
Prosecution: “Modern-Day Moral Decay”
Speaking to News18, Public Prosecutor Bibhas Chatterjee said:“This was a rarest of the rare case. Asif murdered his entire family in a premeditated and brutal manner and showed no remorse. He belongs to a generation so obsessed with gadgets and virtual life that he planned and executed a mass murder based on information sourced from the dark web.”“He turned a hidden room into a water-filled reservoir of death. This verdict sets an important precedent for society.”
The court’s ruling brings closure to a case that has haunted the people of West Bengal and reignited debates about psychological health, digital influences, and moral decline in youth.
