Calcutta High Court Commutes Death Sentence to Life for Aftab Alam in 2023 Dhupguri Dacoity Murder

The Calcutta High Court has commuted the death sentence of Aftab Alam, convicted for murdering his maternal uncle during a 2023 Dhupguri dacoity, to life imprisonment without remission for 20 years.

Justices Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya and Uday Kumar cited Alam’s young age, no prior criminal record, and scope for reformation.

Referring to Supreme Court precedents, the Bench cautioned that judges should not be “bloodthirsty” and that the death penalty must be reserved for the rarest of rare cases. 

It rejected the trial court’s view of Alam as a “veteran criminal,” finding the murder was linked to the dacoity, not a premeditated act.

[Aftab Alam v State of West Bengal]