Tripura assembly passes resolution to abolish death penalty

The ruling Left Front members and opposition Congress legislators unanimously passed a resolution in the Tripura assembly on Friday, urging the Centre to abolish the death penalty.

The resolution, moved by Congress MLA Jitendra Sarkar, suggested rigorous life imprisonment until the death of the guilty instead of capital punishment.

Supporting the Congress lawmaker's resolution, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar told the house that the death penalty does not give the convicted person scope for repentance.

"More than 149 countries have already abolished the death penalty though 58 nations still have the provision of death sentence," Law Minister Tapan Chakraborty said.

"There are opinions that some people after committing heinous crimes go scot-free using their monetary and other influence while poor men are unable to engage suitable lawyers to fight their cases in court."

Referring to Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi and French poet, novelist and dramatist Victor Marie Hugo, opposition leader Sudip Roy Barman said that repentance of the guilty person is the greatest punishment.

Former opposition leader and Congress legislator Ratan Lal Nath, however, opposed his party MLA's motion.

"If anyone takes away the life of an innocent person, he/she (the murderer) has no right to live," Nath said.