TV
Convict Punjilal Meher, who gained infamy for orchestrating a parcel bomb attack, will serve a life sentence instead of facing capital punishment.
While announcing the conviction, the Additional District Judge (ADJ) at Patnagarh highlighted the possibility of redemption, quoting, "Every sinner has a future and every saint has a past," acknowledging Meher's potential remorse and rehabilitation.
Once an English lecturer at a college, Meher now occupies Ward 11 in Bolangir Jail as inmate number 5882.
His transition from academia to incarceration was solidified after he chillingly demonstrated the bomb's creation to then Crime Branch Inspector General (IG) Arun Bothra.
Motivation and Conviction
When asked by IG Bothra why he harboured animosity towards Sanjukta Sahu, the mother of the deceased Soumyashekhar, Meher starkly confessed that he aimed to make her endure the pain of losing her son throughout her life. However, his meticulously laid plans were eventually uncovered, leading to his conviction.
Following the pronouncement of the verdict, deceased Soumyashekhar's parents are of the opinion that Meher will now suffer death on a daily basis.
"Had capital punishment been given, he would have died all of a sudden. However, in case of life imprisonment, he will die on a daily basis inside the jail" said Soumyashekhar's father Rabindra Sahu.
"Nobody can properly say whether Punjilal is a human being, a creature, a demon or a devil," said Soumyashekhar's mother Sanjukta Sahu.
Must Read: Patnagarh parcel bomb case: How a mysterious letter and forensic clues unmasked Punjilal Meher
The comprehensive 210-page judgement by the Patnagarh ADJ delineates how Meher transformed an ordinary parcel into a deadly weapon. It underscores the terror-like nature of his crime, equating the use of a bomb to acts of terrorism.
ADJ Sonali Pattanaik, drawing from Justice Krishna Iyer, asserted, "Every saint has a past and every sinner a future." She elaborated that a life sentence adequately serves justice in this case, given the crime doesn't meet the threshold for the death penalty, advocating for justice over vengeance. The decision considers Meher's capacity for exhibiting remorse and reform.
"Punjilal Meher has been convicted on the basis of Sections 302, 307, 301, 303, 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as per the findings in the investigation," said Punjilal's lawyer Shiba Prasad Mishra.
"Punjilal Meher has been convicted of life imprisonment on the basis of various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)," said government lawyer Ashis Chandan.
With this verdict, the former academic's future now unfolds behind bars in Bolangir Jail.
