High Court Overturns Sentences in 2021 Rape and Murder Case

The Calcutta High Court has overturned the sentences of two individuals involved in a 2021 rape and murder case. On Thursday, the court found insufficient evidence against Tapati Patra and Chhotu Munda and acquitted them, while Bikash Murmu's death penalty was commuted to a life sentence.

A sessions court in Paschim Medinipur district initially sentenced Murmu and Munda to death and Patra to a life term for the crime. However, the high court's division bench, comprising justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi, ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges against Patra and Munda beyond a reasonable doubt.

The bench noted forensic evidence against Murmu, whose conduct in the correctional home and socio-economic background suggested potential for reformation, prompting the commutation. Yet, they stated the case doesn't belong to the 'rarest of rare' category, meriting a lesser sentence.

(With inputs from agencies.)