Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court’s Division Bench dismissed a petition from the West Bengal government seeking death penalty for Sanjay Roy, the only convicted person in the RG Kar rape and murder case.
However, the Bench accepted a similar petition from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking Roy’s death penalty. The judges noted that as the investigating agency in this case, only the CBI has the authority to file such a petition, stating that the state government lacks standing to do so. The court concluded hearings on January 27, with a decision reserved for a later date.
Last month, a Kolkata special court sentenced Roy to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in August last year. The special court judge, Anirban Das, ruled against the death penalty, citing that the crime did not meet the criteria of being “the rarest of rare.” Following this, both the West Bengal government and the CBI challenged the special court’s decision, with the CBI also disputing the state government’s right to appeal.
Meanwhile, the parents of the victim have publicly stated their opposition to Roy receiving the death penalty, believing that he was not the sole perpetrator in their daughter’s brutal assault and murder. They have faced criticism from some members of the ruling Trinamool Congress party for their stance against capital punishment for Roy.
