"Nothing less than capital punishment...": CM Mamata welcomes death penalty for rape convict

She also recalled the previous instance, where the court handed capital punishment to the convict in Joynagar in 62 days, and further asserted the need for capital punishment for rape convicts.

A local court in Bengal's Murshidabad handed a death sentence to a rape convict and a life sentence to the other in the rape-murder case of a minor.

Taking to social media platform X, CM Mamata said, "Barely a week ago, @WBPolice and our justice system secured capital punishment within just 62 days for the perpetrator of a brutal rape-murder of a minor in Joynagar. Today, death penalty has been awarded to one of two accused in the heinous rape-murder of yet another minor in Farakka on 13.10.24, with his co-accused getting a life term."

She called on people to 'unite' in eradicating the "social malice" through "swift, time-bound trials and punishments" which serve as a powerful deterrent and send a "clear message."

"I have said this before, and I will say it again: Every rapist deserves nothing less than the harshest punishment--capital punishment. As a society, we must unite to eradicate this heinous social malice. I believe that swift, time-bound trials and punishments will serve as a powerful deterrent, sending a clear message that such crimes will not be tolerated," the Chief Minister said.

"I congratulate the state police and all involved in the prosecution process for this achievement, while my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim," she added.

Earlier on December 6, a POCSO court sentenced a man to death for the rape and murder of a 9-year-old in the Joynagar area of South 24 Parganas district. According to officials, the incident took place on October 4, and the conviction was handed within 62 days of the incident.

CM Mamata had called the sentence "unprecedented" in the history of the state and lauded the police for the "outstanding achievement."

Earlier in September, the state government came up with the Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024. It calls for the death penalty or life imprisonment for those convicted of rape, aiming to amend sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the new penal code.

This came in the wake of the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College, which brought a lot of flak for the Trinamool government. (ANI)