Calcutta High Court Rejects West Bengal Government's Death Penalty Appeal in RG Kar Case

The court admitted the CBI's plea for capital punishment, citing its investigative authority in the rape and murder of a trainee doctor.

The Calcutta High Court rejected the West Bengal government's appeal seeking the death penalty for Sanjay Roy, convicted of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in August 2024.
The court admitted the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) plea for capital punishment, asserting that only the investigating agency has the jurisdiction to file such an appeal.
Roy was sentenced to life imprisonment on January 20, with the trial court ruling that the crime did not meet the 'rarest of rare' threshold for a death sentence.
The victim's parents opposed the death penalty, emphasizing the need to identify and prosecute other individuals potentially involved in the crime.
The case has drawn significant public and political attention, with calls for justice continuing as the victim's family plans a public demonstration on February 9, her birthday.