The West Bengal Government on Saturday removed special public prosecutor Sharbani Roy in the Suzette Jordan gangrape case from its panel of lawyers just hours after she allegedly told a court in Kolkata that the three accused in the 2012 case were not directly involved in the actual crime and should be given the minimum punishment of 10 years in jail.
But what was meant to be a damage control exercise boomeranged on the Government as Roy hit back saying, “The main accused Kadir Khan is in hiding. Everyone knew who are helping Khan to remain still at large almost four years after committing the crime.” Roy’s remarks came after she was summarily removed by State
law Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya from her post after reports became public that she had advised lesser punishment for the other accused Nasir, Ruman Khan and Sumit Bajaj.
The Opposition termed her removal a face-saver move by the Mamata Banerjee regime. On awarding 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh each for committing the crime, Additional Sessions Judge Chiranjib Bhattacharya on Friday said it was a pre-meditated crime and not just the result of a sudden outburst of physical lust.
While the minimum punishment under Section 376(g) of the Indian Penal Code is 10-year rigorous imprisonment, the maximum punishment for the same offence is imprisonment for life.
The law was subsequently amended after the Nirbhaya case by increasing the quantum of maximum punishment to death and minimum punishment to 20 years.
Claiming that she had not gone beyond the law, she asserted, “I don’t care if the Government is upset because I have not gone beyond law.”
When asked to comment on why she asked for minimum punishment for the accused as the Chief Minister had wanted the Government to take strong action, Roy said she had not heard about any such thing “rather I had read something else in the newspapers.”
Also, she expressed shock at how police repeatedly failed to nab the culprits from Mumbai as they left their hideouts moment before the cops reached the area. “Twice police failed to catch them. It was as if some people were giving them prior information about police movement.”
Making a suggestive remark, she added “now police should go and get him from his hiding.”
The rape case had hit national headlines in February 2012, particularly after the Chief Minister dismissed the claim as a “story concocted by the Opposition” to tarnish the image of her Government.
Even her party MPs had said it was a matter between a woman and her clients.
Subsequently, police made a good nine days’ delay in conducting the medical examination of the middle-aged victim. It was, however, left upon Damayanti Sen then Deputy Commissioner of Police to crack the case before being transferred out for some mysterious reasons to North Bengal.
The victim, a mother of two, did not live to see the fate of her case as she passed away early this year after a brief illness. She was gangraped in a moving car by five men who offered her lift to her house from a night club situated at Kolkata’s famous Park Street.
Meanwhile, even as the victim’s family expressed extreme dissatisfaction at the outcome of the case her lawyers on Saturday said they would appeal before the High Court seeking increase of the quantum of punishment.
