High Court Denies West Bengal Government's Appeal in High-Profile Rape-Murder Case

The Calcutta High Court rejected the West Bengal government's appeal against the life sentence for Sanjay Roy in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case. The court accepted a similar plea from the CBI, emphasizing the central agency's role in the investigation and prosecution. The state cannot issue directives in this matter.

The Calcutta High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by the West Bengal government challenging the life sentence given to Sanjay Roy, convicted in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case. At the same time, it accepted an appeal by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the enhancement of the sentence.

Presiding over the judgment, Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi stated that the CBI, as the central investigation body, has the proper jurisdiction to appeal for a sentence review. Consequently, the state government is not permitted to intervene in this judicial process.

Legal proceedings are required to be resolved within six months, and the court has instructed that trial court documents be prepared promptly. The CBI had sought the death penalty while criticizing the state's appeal for sentence inadequacy. Roy, guilty of serious crimes under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, faces life imprisonment till death.