Calcutta HC Changes Death Sentence to Life in Prison for 2013 Crime
Court Considers Mental Health and Economic Status
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has changed the death sentence of a 45-year-old man. He was convicted for the rape and murder of a two-and-a-half-year-old child in Kidderpore in 2013. The court decided that the crime did not fall under the “rarest-of-rare” category. Therefore, they sentenced him to life in prison with no chance of release for 50 years.
Important Details of the Case
- The man, Suresh Paswan, worked as a stable hand at the Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC).
- He took the toddler from her home near the Kidderpore ramp of Vidyasagar Setu.
- Paswan assaulted the child, strangled her, and left her body in a drain.
- Children from the slum found the child’s body the next morning.
- The autopsy report revealed 17 injuries, showing a brutal assault.
The Court’s Reasoning
The High Court looked at Paswan’s psychological report. It showed he had a mild mental disability. The court also considered his poor economic background. They noted that the crime was not planned and there was no feud with the victim’s family.
The judges, Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi, stated, “Every murder is terrible but not all deserve the death penalty. We cannot say this case is one of the ‘rarest of rare’ that justifies the death sentence.”
About the Convict
Paswan’s life has been filled with hardship. He was an only child and his father died before he was born. His mother worked as a farm laborer. The court noted that his lack of education added to his mental disability.
The bench also said, “The chance of future improvement is important when considering the death sentence.”
