KOLKATA, Feb 7: On Friday, the Calcutta High Court admitted the CBI’s appeal contesting the trial court’s life sentence for Sanjay Roy, the convict in the RG Kar hospital rape and murder case.
However, the division bench declined to accept the West Bengal government’s appeal regarding the severity of the sentence imposed on Roy, who is the only convict in the matter.
Both the CBI and the state government have appealed to the high court, seeking the death penalty for Roy.
The bench, consisting of Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Sabbar Rashidi, stated that the CBI’s appeal regarding the sentence’s severity is being admitted for further hearing, since the agency conducted the investigation.
In a tragic incident on August 9 of last year, an on-duty medic was raped and murdered in a seminar room at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, leading to nationwide outrage.
Roy was apprehended by the Kolkata Police the following day.
The Calcutta High Court subsequently transferred the investigation to the CBI.
The central agency submitted its charge sheet to the trial court on October 7, with charges against Roy being framed on November 4.
On January 20, the trial court sentenced Roy to life imprisonment until his natural death after finding him guilty.
Following this, both the CBI and the state government independently appealed to the Calcutta High Court to challenge the sentence and sought a death penalty for Roy.
The bench reserved its decision on the admission of the two appeals on January 27. (PTI)
