The parents of the doctor who was raped and murdered at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in August have expressed their disappointment over the Sealdah Session Court’s verdict, sentencing the convict to life imprisonment. They believe it is a “rarest of the rare” case and that the death sentence would have been more fitting.
The Additional District and Session Judge Anirban Das rejected the prosecution’s request for capital punishment, stating that the case did not meet the stringent criteria for such classification. The lawyers representing the family and the CBI had prayed for the death sentence, alleging some lapses on part of the CBI.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that if the West Bengal police had investigated the case, she would have secured a death penalty. She emphasized that in three other cases, the State police ensured capital punishment within 54-60 days.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari stated that while he understood the family’s disappointment, it was ultimately up to the judge to decide on the sentence. The BJP leader also refuted allegations of lapses in the CBI’s investigation.
West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose expressed concerns over the broader societal issues contributing to increasing incidents of violence against women. He stated that punishment alone cannot address these deeper problems, which are reflected in rising cases of rapes, assaults, and murders.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/we-believe-it-is-rarest-of-rare-case-say-parents-of-the-deceased-doctor/article69120055.ece