The Calcutta High Court on Monday reserved its decision on whether to admit appeals from the West Bengal government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding the sentencing of Sanjay Roy, convicted in the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The trial court’s January 20 decision sentenced Roy to life imprisonment until death, a verdict now contested by both the state and the CBI.
During the proceedings before the division bench led by Justice Debangsu Basak, both appellants argued that the life sentence given to Roy was insufficient given the gravity of the crime. They are seeking the capital punishment for Roy, with each entity presenting its case for why the sentence should be reconsidered.
The CBI, having led the investigation and prosecution, asserted its exclusive right to appeal the sentence’s inadequacy. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government, represented by Advocate General Kishore Dutta, also made a case for its standing to challenge the trial court’s sentence.
The courtroom was also attended by lawyers representing the parents of the deceased doctor and the convict, complying with earlier directives from the division bench.
