West Bengal Government Appeals for Death Penalty in RG Kar Rape-Murder Case

The state challenges a Sealdah court's life imprisonment verdict, citing the crime as a 'rarest of rare' case deserving capital punishment.

• The Sealdah court sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College, rejecting the death penalty as the crime did not meet 'rarest of rare' criteria.
• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the verdict and announced the government would appeal for the death penalty in the Calcutta High Court.
• The trial court condemned the RG Kar hospital administration for attempting to cover up the incident as a suicide to avoid liability, as well as police failures in the initial investigation.
• The court highlighted lapses by police officers, including delayed filing of the FIR and mishandling of evidence, and called for better training in handling sensitive cases.
• The judgment emphasized the importance of modern justice principles, stating that punishment should focus on reform and rehabilitation rather than retribution.

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