Sentencing in the Kamduni gangrape and murder case was deferred till tomorrow as the convicts’ counsel today argued against possible death sentence to some of those found guilty claiming that earlier cases of more gruesome incidents invited lesser sentences.
Additional District and Sessions judge Sanchita Sarkar, who yesterday convicted six persons in the gangrape and murder of the girl, said she intended to pronounce sentence the convicts tomorrow following conclusion of arguments.
Firoz Edulji, counsel for convicts Saiful Ali and Ansar Ali, submitted before the court that there had been previous cases of rape and murder in which the convicts were given punishment other than death sentence.
He referred to some judgements of different courts of the country before the hearing was adjourned for the day.
Saiful Ali, Ansar Ali and Aminul Ali were found guilty under sections 376(d) (gangrape), 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.
The judge found the other three – Imanul Islam, Aminul Islam and Bhola Naskar guilty under sections 376(d) (gangrape), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of IPC.
Saiful Ali, Ansar Ali and Aminul Ali face a maximum punishment of death penalty under the sections they have been convicted, while the minimum possible punishment is life sentence.
The other three found guilty face a minimum of 20 years in prison or a maximum of life sentence, the judge had said.
Rafiqul Islam and Nur Ali were acquitted owing to lack of evidence against them.
Another accused Gopal Naskar died during trial in August last year.
The gangrape and brutal murder of the 21-year-old college girl occurred when she was returning home at Kamduni, about 50 km from Kolkata, in North 24-Parganas district after appearing for an examination at her college on June 7, 2013.
The second year BA student was pulled into a farm when she was walking back home along a deserted road after alighting from a bus. She was subsequently gangraped and murdered.
Her mutilated body was found the next morning in a corner of the farm.
The incident had sparked an outrage in the state amidst concerns over women’s safety.
( Source – PTI )
