HC commutes rape-murder convict’s death sentence over ‘advanced age’
Times of India | 25 June 2025
Kolkata: Considering the advanced age of Srimanta Tung (58), convicted of rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl who worked at his home in Haldia, Calcutta High Court on Tuesday commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment without remission for 20 years. The HC said it wasn't ‘rarest of rare'. "To hold a case ‘rarest of rare', Supreme Court has ordained to evaluate the parameters of ‘aggravating' and ‘mitigating' circumstances. Besides, in a murder case, it is to be conclusively evaluated that the offence was committed in a cold-blooded way and the convict's age also has to be considered. According to the SC, a convict, too young or too old, should not be awarded death penalty," the division bench of justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi cited. The girl had been working at Tung's house for two-and-a-half years. Her uncle was told she was ill, but when he went to the house on Aug 8, 2016, he discovered her burnt body in the bathroom.
The uncle lodged a complaint at Haldia PS. An autopsy revealed she was strangled to death and set on fire to destroy evidence. The case was based on circumstantial evidence and the HC held Tung could not prove otherwise. The bench noted Tung's wife was part of the support staff at a school. "The convict is not reported with any criminal antecedent or unstable social behaviour. Moreover, he is of an advanced age of 58 years," the HC said. The psychological report of the convict, who used to work as a labourer, showed he did not suffer "any psychopathological infirmity".