Convicted Civil Volunteer Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Assaulting a Doctor

CBI Had Demanded the Death Penalty, But Court Did Not Consider It ‘Rarest of the Rare’
A civil volunteer found guilty of brutally assaulting a female doctor at a government hospital in Kolkata has been sentenced to life imprisonment until death by the Special CBI Court. The court also imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on the convict.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had demanded the death penalty, citing the gruesome nature of the crime. However, the court ruled that the case did not qualify as ‘rarest of the rare’, and hence, the convict will serve life imprisonment without parole.

Case Background
•    The incident took place last year at a government hospital in Kolkata, where the convict—a civil volunteer—assaulted and brutally attacked a female doctor.
•    The victim suffered severe injuries and had to undergo extensive medical treatment.
•    The case was handed over to the CBI, which conducted a thorough investigation and presented its findings in court.

Court's Judgment & Compensation Order
•    The court directed the state government to provide ₹10 lakh as compensation to the victim.
•    While the CBI argued for capital punishment, the court did not categorize the crime as ‘rarest of the rare’, instead imposing rigorous life imprisonment.

Victim's Family: ‘Justice, Not Compensation’
•    The victim’s parents expressed disappointment with the verdict, stating:
“The punishment is too lenient. The convict deserves the death penalty for his crime. Compensation is not justice; we demand the harshest punishment.”

CBI May Appeal for Death Penalty
•    The CBI is likely to challenge the verdict in the High Court, requesting enhancement of the sentence to capital punishment.
•    Legal experts suggest that the High Court may reconsider the severity of the crime and revise the punishment.

Political Reactions
•    BJP criticized the verdict, calling it “a mockery of justice.”
•    A BJP spokesperson stated that merely imposing a fine of ₹50,000 does not reflect the severity of the crime.

Related Case: Kerala Court Sentences Man to Death for Murdering Lover
•    In a separate case from Kerala, a court sentenced a man to death for killing his girlfriend in 2022.
•    The verdict was delivered under Section 302 of the IPC (Indian Penal Code).