Kolkata:
In the wake of a Kolkata court’s decision to sentence Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Hospital, the Bengal government has appealed to the Calcutta High Court to overturn the sentence and impose the death penalty. This move comes amid widespread outrage and a heated political standoff between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed strong disappointment over the life imprisonment sentence, questioning the lower court’s judgment that the crime did not qualify as ‘rarest of rare,’ a criterion necessary for capital punishment. The case has ignited a national debate on workplace safety and the efficacy of the justice system in handling such heinous crimes.
Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was convicted of raping and murdering a 28-year-old postgraduate medical trainee at RG Kar Hospital in August 2024. Despite the prosecution’s and the victim’s family’s pleas for the death penalty, the trial court, presided over by Judge Anirban Das, sentenced Roy to life imprisonment. The court reasoned that while the crime was particularly heinous, it did not meet the stringent ‘rarest of rare’ criteria required for capital punishment.
The Bengal government’s appeal to the Calcutta High Court argues that the crime’s severity and its impact on public confidence warrant the death penalty. However, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has countered that only the central government or the CBI itself can appeal the inadequacy of the sentence, not the state government. This legal hurdle stems from the fact that the original First Information Report (FIR) was filed by the Kolkata Police and later transferred to the CBI by the High Court.
The case has become a focal point of political controversy, with the Trinamool Congress and the BJP engaging in a bitter dispute over the handling of the investigation. The CBI’s investigation, which took over from the Kolkata Police following a High Court order, has been criticized by doctors and the victim’s family for being inadequate. The victim’s parents have also expressed dissatisfaction with the state government’s and the CBI’s handling of the case, urging that the government not interfere further.
Judge Anirban Das’s judgment highlighted that the CBI failed to provide sufficient evidence to convince the court that this was a ‘rarest of rare’ case, thereby precluding the death penalty. The Calcutta High Court has scheduled a second hearing on January 27 to consider the appeal, following preliminary arguments from both sides.
As the legal battle continues, public sentiment remains divided but strongly opinionated. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s criticism of the lower court’s decision reflects the broader public demand for stricter punishments in such cases. The case has underscored the need for enhanced security measures in public institutions, particularly hospitals, and has reignited discussions on the effectiveness of the justice system in delivering justice for victims of violent crimes.
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