Calcutta High Court Commutes Death Sentence to Life Imprisonment, Says Judges Must Not Be Bloodthirsty
Kolkata, 7 August (H.S.): In a significant ruling, the Calcutta High Court’s Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench has commuted the death sentence awarded to a man convicted of murdering his maternal uncle and committing robbery, converting it to life imprisonme
Calcutta High Court


Kolkata, 7 August (H.S.):

In a significant ruling, the Calcutta High Court’s Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench has commuted the death sentence awarded to a man convicted of murdering his maternal uncle and committing robbery, converting it to life imprisonment. The bench observed that punishment should be guided by the principle of reform rather than retribution.

The division bench, led by Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya, ruled that the death penalty awarded to Aftab Alam by a Jalpaiguri sessions court would be modified to life imprisonment, with the condition that he must serve at least 20 years in prison before being considered for release, unless exceptional reasons are presented to the court.

“Judges must never be bloodthirsty,” Justice Bhattacharyya remarked, adding, “Executing a murderer brings no moral superiority to society. The concept of justice today must move beyond vengeance.”

Referring to the landmark 1980 judgment in Bachan Singh vs State of Punjab, the bench reiterated the need for extreme caution and sensitivity while awarding the death penalty, emphasizing that capital punishment must only be considered in the rarest of rare cases.

The court also noted that the evolution of the term “prisons” into “correctional homes” reflects a societal shift toward rehabilitation rather than revenge. The bench highlighted that Aftab is still in his twenties and that his potential for reform cannot be ruled out.

While the additional public prosecutor representing the state urged the court to uphold the death sentence, the bench held that the state had failed to conclusively prove that the convict was beyond reformation.

The judgment further stressed the irreversible nature of capital punishment. “If someone is executed and new evidence later emerges, that error cannot be corrected,” the court stated, underlining the gravity and finality of such a sentence. Accordingly, the High Court commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh


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