The parents of the woman doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last year are not seeking the death penalty for the convict, their lawyer informed the Calcutta High Court on Monday. Despite this statement in court, they declined to confirm their position to reporters.
The parents have instead demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The issue has drawn sharp reactions from both the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and opposition parties, further intensifying the political debate surrounding the case.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have both appealed for the death sentence for the convict. The High Court will now decide which petition to proceed with.
Addressing the media, the father of the victim expressed his frustration with the authorities. “The CBI is not working at all, and this is proven by the judgment copy of the Sealdah court. I can’t say more than this. Who will we go to? The state police let us down, and now the CBI is letting us down. Whom do we go to? I leave it to the judge of the High Court to decide,” he said.
Dr Shashi Panja, the state’s Women and Child Development Minister, commented on the parents’ demand for the Chief Minister’s resignation. “The parents—we understand their sentiments. We have nothing to tell them. I remember once even Hon’ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that if my resignation is going to give her justice, I am ready to do it,” she said.
Dr Panja also criticised the opposition parties, accusing them of exploiting the tragedy for political gain. “But don’t we see a kind of mahaul (environment) which the political parties in opposition to us are trying to create? They are trying to get advantage of a rape and murder, and it is so unfortunate,” she added.
Senior TMC leader and minister Firhad Hakim alleged that the victim’s parents were being influenced by political rivals to target the Chief Minister unfairly.
Also Read: Special Ward Set Up in Pune for Guillain-Barre Syndrome Cases Amid Rising Numbers