Kolkata/New Delhi, 24 January 2025: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed an appeal before the Calcutta High Court, requesting the death penalty for Sanjay Roy, convicted in the RG Kar Hospital rape-murder case.
A division bench led by Justice Debangsu Basak, alongside Justice Md Shabbar Rashidi, scheduled the hearing for January 27.
The court will hear the CBI’s appeal along with a petition from the West Bengal government, which also seeks capital punishment for the convict.
Representing the CBI, Deputy Solicitor General Rajdeep Majumdar informed the court that the agency had the right to challenge the January 20 verdict by a Sealdah trial court, which sentenced Roy to life imprisonment until the end of his natural life.
Majumdar argued that the punishment was inadequate given the heinous nature of the crime.
West Bengal Advocate General Kishore Dutta echoed the CBI’s position, stating in court that the life sentence was insufficient and capital punishment was necessary. “Considering the brutality of the crime, a harsher punishment is justified,” Dutta mentioned during the proceedings.
The case pertains to the rape and murder of a doctor on August 9, 2024, which sparked outrage in the state.
The CBI, having investigated the case, opposed the West Bengal government’s separate appeal, arguing it was the prosecuting agency and thus had the primary right to seek stricter punishment.
The division bench stated that it would consider arguments from all parties, including the victim’s family and the convict’s legal representation, before deciding whether to admit the appeals.
