KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday expressed dismay at the Sealdah court awarding jail till death to RG Kar rape-murder convict Sanjay Roy, insisting that the Aparajita Bill aimed at meting out capital punishment and harshest penalties for rape and sexual harassment must be the country’s role model.
She said at an administrative programme in Malda district: “In the RG Kar case, we had called for capital punishment. If someone is a monster, how can society show humanity? We wanted the noose for the convict. How can society show humanity to such devils who engage in such diabolical acts?”
She trained her guns at the Centre for keeping the Bill on hold: “...we have passed the Aparajita Bill in the assembly to protect mothers and sisters. It has provisions for the death penalty and other harshest punishments for acid attackers. But the Centre has kept the Bill on hold, and we demand that it become a model to be followed nationwide.”
She questioned the rationale of the judge not finding the case rarest of the rare. “What does a life sentence mean? We have seen many cases pending for two to three years, and the accused is out on parole. Why should the perpetrators be pardoned? I am shocked by this case (RG Kar). I was also a lawyer and have studied law.
When shots were fired at Parha Singha Burman of Balughat, I stood for the students in the court and secured their release. I know bits and parts of the law and have fought several cases, not for pecuniary gains but for humanity. How can the judge say it was not the rarest of the rare cases? I think it is a rare, sensitive and very, very heinous crime.”
The chief minister exhorted people to be alert to prevent such incidents and promised to provide mobile phones to ASHA and ICDS workers to avoid delays in reporting crimes against women.