Bengal Government Appeals for Death Penalty in RG Kar Case
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Synopsis
The West Bengal government has appealed to the Calcutta High Court against the life sentence of Sanjay Roy for the rape and murder of a junior doctor, seeking the death penalty for the convict.
Key Takeaways
- West Bengal government challenges life sentence.
- Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee advocates for death penalty.
- The case involves the rape and murder of a junior doctor.
- Division bench accepts the state’s petition.
- CBI's argument deemed invalid by the judge.
Kolkata, Jan 21 (NationPress) On Tuesday, the West Bengal government filed an appeal with the Calcutta High Court, contesting the special court's decision to sentence Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a junior doctor from the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.
State Advocate General Kishor Datta has approached the division bench including Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi, advocating for the imposition of a death penalty on the convict.
The division bench has officially accepted the petition from the state government.
Following the sentencing, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared on Monday evening that the state would challenge the verdict in the Calcutta High Court.
She emphasized that the government will pursue the death penalty for the convict.
"This is a heinous crime deserving capital punishment. We will advocate for the convict's death penalty in the High Court," stated the Chief Minister.
She expressed her profound shock at the special court's decision, which she felt did not regard the crime as the rarest of rare.
"I am firmly convinced that this is indeed a rarest of rare case that demands capital punishment. We aim to assert the death penalty in this extremely tragic and sensitive matter," the Chief Minister asserted.
"In recent months, we have successfully secured capital or maximum punishment for convicts in similar crimes. So, why was capital punishment not awarded in this case?" added the Chief Minister.
"We are demanding the death penalty for the convict. I cannot comprehend how…. If the case had been under our jurisdiction (referring to state or Kolkata Police), the death sentence would have been pronounced much earlier," she said.
While delivering the sentence, special court judge Anirban Das stated that the argument presented by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) claiming that Roy's actions constituted a rarest of rare crime was not valid.
