Battle Over Justice: Life Sentence Under Scrutiny in Rape-Murder Case

The Calcutta High Court is deliberating on appeals by the CBI and West Bengal government, both challenging the adequacy of a life sentence given to Sanjay Roy for a 2024 rape-murder. Both parties are pushing for capital punishment, asserting the sentence should better reflect the crime's severity.

The Calcutta High Court reserved judgement on two appeals challenging the life sentence of Sanjay Roy, convicted for the 2024 rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Hospital. Both the West Bengal government and the CBI deemed the sentence inadequate, advocating instead for capital punishment.

Justice Debangsu Basak presided over the hearing, where representatives for both appellants argued the January 20 Sealdah sessions court's verdict was insufficient. The prosecution, handled by the CBI, asserted its sole right to contest the sentence's adequacy under the cloak of their investigative role.

West Bengal's Advocate General, Kishore Dutta, spearheaded the state's appeal, emphasizing the shared victim of injustice. Present were legal representatives for both the convict's and the victim's families, highlighting the case's profound emotional stakes.

(With inputs from agencies.)