Calcutta High Court Hearing on CBI, WB Govt's Pleas for Sanjay Roy's Death Sentence Concludes

Synopsis

The Calcutta High Court has concluded hearings regarding petitions from the CBI and West Bengal government seeking the death penalty for Sanjay Roy, the sole convict in the RG Kar case. The court has reserved its judgement, leaving the fate of the petitions uncertain.

Key Takeaways

The hearing concluded on the admissibility of CBI and West Bengal's petitions.
Judgement on the petitions has been reserved by the Calcutta High Court.
CBI argues it has the right to file petition due to its involvement in the investigation.
State government claims the right to appeal under relevant sections of CRPC.
Last week, Sanjay Roy was sentenced to life imprisonment but both parties are challenging this.

Kolkata, Jan 27 (NationPress) The proceedings regarding the acceptance of two petitions from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the West Bengal government, which are advocating for the death penalty for Sanjay Roy, the only convict in the RG Kar rape and murder case, were completed at a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday afternoon.

The division bench, comprising Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi, has reserved its judgement. As of the reporting time, it was unclear whether the court’s decision would be announced later that day or on another occasion.

Once the judgement is rendered, it will clarify whether both petitions—one from the CBI and the other from the West Bengal government—will be accepted, or if only one will proceed.

The hearing commenced around 10:30 a.m. and wrapped up by approximately 12:45 p.m. The principal argument from the CBI's legal representative was that, since their officials had been investigating the case following a prior order from the Calcutta High Court, the central agency and the victim's family were entitled to file the petition, rather than the state government, which was not a participant in the case.

Conversely, the state government's legal counsel asserted that in this scenario, the state could invoke Section 377 (which permits the state to appeal if it deems the sentence insufficient) and Section 378 (which deals with appeals against acquittal orders for serious offences) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC).

To recall, the deceased woman doctor was found dead in a seminar hall on the grounds of the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital on the morning of August 9, 2024, prompting initial investigations by the Kolkata Police.

The Kolkata Police apprehended Roy, but subsequently, the CBI took over the investigation following a directive from the Calcutta High Court.

Recently, a special court in Kolkata sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment. Nonetheless, both the CBI and the state government appealed to the Calcutta High Court, contesting the special court's ruling and requesting the death penalty for the sole convict.