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Buddhadev's wife echoes husband's verdict on execution
In tune with her husband, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacherjee's view in favour of execution of rape and murder convict Dhananjay Chatterjee, social activist Mira Bhattacharjee on Saturday said that the offence is a 'fit case' for capital punishment'.
In tune with her husband, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacherjee's view in favour of execution of rape and murder convict Dhananjay Chatterjee, social activist Mira Bhattacharjee on Saturday said that the offence is a 'fit case' for capital punishment'.
"Dhananjoy is a fit case for capital punishment and I am for it," Mira Bhattacharjee told reporters in the sidelines of an open debate 'To hang or not to hang' that the Supreme Court had given its judgement twice on this case and the President delivered his opinion, but the issue was still lingering.
Asked for her comment on the plight of the convict's family in Bankura, the Chief Minister's wife said, "You media people have been consistently keeping that that family in focus only caring little to highlight the sad days of the Parekh family after Hetal's rape and murder by Dhananjoy Chatterjee".
"For this crime, Dhananjoy should be hanged," she asserted.
To a question about veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu's reservation about capital punishment, Mira Bhattacharjee said, "I can't comment on what Jyoti Babu has observed. But, I am strongly in favour of execution particularly in this case of Hetal Parekh rape-cum-murder case".
The open debate has been organised jointly by a Bengali daily and 'Nabajagaran', an NGO.
The Chief Minister had already expressed the state government's opinion, saying "in this case I am in favour of death sentence. I mean death by hanging. Yes, the message should go".
Demanding Dhananjay's execution, a former state minister and CPI-M MP Md Salim said that academic discussion might continue on hanging but in this case the culprit who had 'committed unpardonable crime' must get this exemplary punishment.
He sought to know why a debate was taking place on his hanging when Dhananjay was convicted and when there was a provision for death sentence.
Echoing him, another CPI-M MP Sujan Chakraborty said that one could talk about human rights
only in case of human beings. But Dhananjay who had committed rape on a minor girl and killed her should be hanged, he said.
Nationalist Trinamool Congress leader Sobhandev Chattopadhyay, who also demanded implemetation of the death sentence on Dhananjay, said that criminals would be encouraged if this exemplary punishment was not given to him.
Eminent footballer Prasun Banerjee who supported the death sentence on Dhananjay, said that this was necessary for the good of society.
State Fire services minister Pratim Chatterjee, daughter of Chief Minister Suchetana Bhattacharjee and many others also demanded immediate implementation of the death sentence.
Meanwhile, Humanist Association of India criticised those who had called for a halt on hanging and demanded that immediate justice should be meted out by implementing the apex court order.
