CBI seeks death penalty for RG Kar Hospital rape-murder convict Sanjay Roy

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed an appeal before the Calcutta High Court, urging the imposition of the death penalty on Sanjay Roy, convicted in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case.

A division bench comprising Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Md Shabbar Rashidi scheduled the hearing for January 27. The appeal will also address a similar plea by the West Bengal government seeking to upgrade Roy's life sentence to capital punishment.

Deputy Solicitor General Rajdeep Majumdar, representing the CBI, argued that the central agency, as the primary investigating body, has the right to challenge the trial court's sentencing order on grounds of inadequacy.

On January 20, a Sealdah court sentenced Roy to life imprisonment until the end of his natural life for the rape and murder of a doctor on duty at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, 2024.

The CBI's appeal contests the lower court's decision, asserting that the gravity of the crime warrants the maximum punishment. The West Bengal government, represented by Advocate General Kishore Dutta, has similarly argued that the life sentence is insufficient for the heinous crime and urged the court to award the death penalty to Roy.

The division bench has stated it will hear arguments from the CBI, the state government, the victim’s family, and the convict’s counsel before deciding on the appeal's admission. The CBI has also opposed the state’s right to file an appeal, claiming it holds sole prosecutorial authority in the case.

The case has reignited debates on sentencing adequacy for heinous crimes, with both the CBI and the state pushing for the highest level of punishment for justice.