Indian police murdered colleague

Colleagues mourn the death of Bapi Sen (Photo: The Statesman)

Five policemen in the Indian city of Calcutta have been convicted of murdering a colleague who tried to stop them harassing a woman.

Policeman Bapi Sen was beaten with sticks and iron bars on 31 December 2002 and later died in hospital. Sentencing will be on Thursday.

The married woman did not come forward to testify despite repeated appeals.

The murder shocked Calcutta and led to calls for police retraining amid claims of criminal activity in the ranks.

Widow's call

The men convicted were Madhusudhan Chakraborty, Pijush Goswami, Sridam Bawrei, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sekhar Bhusan Mitra.

They were said to be drunk at the time of the attack.

The BBC's Subir Bhaumik in Calcutta says Sen's family, particularly his widow, had called for harsh punishment for the five policemen.

Feminist groups have supported their demand and said Calcutta police should reorient training to encourage more gender sensitivity.

The trial began last June and proved difficult for prosecutors as the harassed woman failed to come forward despite the authorities issuing appeals in newspapers.