High Court Drama: CBI Appeals for Capital Punishment in RG Kar Rape-Murder Case

The Calcutta High Court has refused to consider the West Bengal government's appeal seeking harsher punishment for Sanjay Roy in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, while admitting the CBI's similar plea. The CBI, responsible for prosecution, claims sole right to challenge the trial court's verdict.

The Calcutta High Court on Friday declined to entertain the West Bengal government's appeal challenging the life sentence until death handed to Sanjay Roy, the convict in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, while simultaneously accepting a similar plea by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Both the CBI and the state government had approached the court, seeking the death penalty for Roy. However, the division bench of Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Sabbar Rashidi determined that since the CBI conducted the investigation and served as the prosecution agency, its appeal regarding the sentencing merits a hearing.

The CBI asserted that as the primary investigating and prosecuting body, it alone holds the right to appeal regarding the adequacy of Roy's sentence before the high court. This move follows the heinous incident where an on-duty medic was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, prompting widespread condemnation.