West Bengal teacher sentenced to death for rape, murder of minor domestic help
By Aishik Chanda | Express News Service | Published: 20th April 2018 06:23 PM |
Last Updated: 20th April 2018 06:24 PM | A+A A- |
Image used for representational purpose only.
KOLKATA: A 39-year-old Biology teacher was awarded capital punishment on Thursday for raping and killing a minor domestic help at his residence in Tamluk in Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal in 2012.
Additional district and sessions judge Sanchita Sarkar awarded the punishment to Pranab Roy, a teacher of Chatra Kunjarani High School, for raping and killing a 13-year-old domestic help in his residence at Salgachia in Tamluk town on May 23, 2012.
The judge found the accused guilty under Section 302 (murder), 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986.
The accused had claimed that the minor had committed suicide by consuming poison. However, traces of sexual assault and torture were found on the body of the minor during autopsy. Doctor Pradip Das,
who conducted the autopsy, was assaulted and the parents of the minor were given rape and death threats.
Despite the threats, father of the victim, a daily wager, lodged an FIR at Tamluk police station nine days after the incident. According to the seriousness of the case, special government counsel Nabakumar Ghosh was appointed as lawyer of the victim’s family. Stating that the teacher who was responsible for strengthening the spine of the society and responsible for imparting values to the next generation, advocate Ghosh pled for capital punishment to the accused.
On the other hand, the accused pled that he was victim of a political conspiracy. After the hearing, the judge pronounced capital punishment for the accused, who broke down on hearing the judgment, sources revealed. The accused pled that he is a heart patient and urged medical treatment which was granted.
Defense counsel Goutam Choudhary stated that he will appeal in Calcutta High Court against the judgment.
Judge Sanchita Sarkar had earlier awarded death sentence to three of the nine accused of Kamduni rape, dubbed as ‘Bengal’s Nirbhaya case’, and the remaining life sentence.
