Debate Intensifies Over Sealdah Court Verdict in Kolkata Doctor's Murder Case

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee expressed dismay over a Sealdah court's decision to sentence Sanjay Roy, the sole convict in a doctor's rape and murder case, to life imprisonment. She advocates for a death penalty. The state plans to challenge this ruling in the Calcutta High Court.

Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, has voiced strong disapproval of the Sealdah court's sentencing decision in the case involving Sanjay Roy, convicted for the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Roy received a life imprisonment sentence, but Banerjee insists capital punishment would have been more appropriate.

The Sealdah court's decision came despite Banerjee's continuous calls for the death penalty, stating the crime did not meet the 'rarest of rare' threshold necessary for execution. Banerjee expressed her dissatisfaction, citing her legal experience and emphasizing the need for stricter consequences for heinous crimes.

Reacting to the court's ruling, Banerjee announced plans to appeal the decision in the Calcutta High Court. The West Bengal Assembly has already passed the Aparajita Bill to toughen sanctions for sexual crimes, but it remains pending at the national level. The state government's appeal aims to secure the death penalty for Roy.

(With inputs from agencies.)