Mamata not happy with RG Kar verdict, says 'death penalty' should be given

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday expressed dissatisfaction over the life imprisonment verdict awarded to the convict in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case. The case pertains to the heinous crime committed against an on-duty medic at the state-run hospital. Banerjee strongly asserted that the investigation, which was conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), should have remained with the Kolkata Police to ensure a harsher punishment.

Speaking at an event in Murshidabad, the Chief Minister criticized the court’s decision, stating, "From day one, we had demanded the death sentence, but the court has given a life term until death. We still stand by our demand. The case was forcibly taken away from the state police. Had it been with them, we would have ensured the death penalty."

Banerjee expressed skepticism about the CBI’s probe and highlighted instances where the state police secured capital punishment in similar cases. She said, "In many similar cases that were probed by the state police, the death penalty was ensured. I am not satisfied. Had it been the death penalty, at least my heart would have been somewhat at peace."

The Chief Minister also took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her displeasure, asserting that the case qualifies as a "rarest of rare" instance warranting capital punishment. She wrote, "In the RG Kar junior doctor's rape and murder case, I am really shocked to see that the judgment of the court today finds that it is not a rarest of rare case! We want and insist upon the death penalty in this most sinister and sensitive case."

Banerjee further emphasized her government’s record of securing maximum punishment for convicts in similar crimes over the past few months and questioned why the RG Kar case was treated differently. She announced that the state government would appeal the Sealdah Court's verdict in the Calcutta High Court, reiterating her demand for the death penalty.