Citizens, civil right activists and political workers on Tuesday hit the streets in Kolkata demanding punishment of the convicts in the gangrape and murder of a 21-year-old- college student in June 2013, who were recently acquitted by the Calcutta High Court.Citizens, civil rights activists and political workers on Tuesday hit the streets of Kolkata demanding punishment to the convicts in the gang rape and murder of a 21-year-old college student in June 2013. The accused were recently acquitted by the Calcutta High Court.
Hundreds of people, particularly women, staged a march from Victoria House to Gandhi Statue in Esplanade area demanding justice.
The Calcutta High Court on October 5, acquitted a capital punishment awardee and commuted the death sentence of two others to life imprisonment in the gang rape and murder of a student at Kamduni in North 24 Parganas. In its order, a Division Bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Ajay Kumar Gupta pointed out that the State had failed to prove conspiracy prior to the crime beyond reasonable doubt. The court also pointed out that the State had not led evidence to rebut the possibility of reformation and rehabilitation.
“We expected justice and thought that exemplary punishment in the case would send signals that could curb such crimes. But now, the accused have been acquitted and such crimes will rise,” said Mousumi Koyal, a villager from Kamduni, who had led protests about ten years ago. Tumpa Koyal, another villager, said the people never expected that those responsible for the crime would be released.
The two women had been at the forefront of the protest at Kamduni almost ten years ago.
Along with the villagers of Kamduni, members of civil society and political activists from the Congress and Left parties had also joined the protests in Kolkata.
Meanwhile, the women’s wing of the BJP held a protest rally at Kamduni village. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari joined the protest rally and blamed the State government for the acquittal.
“In the past 10 years, the State government has changed public prosecutors 15 times. Now they have provided security outside the house of the convicts,” Mr. Adhikari said.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that the West Bengal government has already challenged the Calcutta High Court order before the Supreme Court. Mr. Ghosh also questioned Mr. Adhikari’s remarks and said that he was a Trinamool MP and later a Minister in the West Bengal government and he cannot criticise the State government.
