RG Kar case: Calcutta High Court rejects State’s appeal seeking capital punishment for accused

Kolkata: In the much talked about RG Kar case the Division Bench of Calcutta High Court rejected the State’s appeal seeking capital punishment for the accused Sanjay Roy. In its order, the High Court said that the State does not have the right to sue for maximum punishment. The High Court did not accept the case filed by the State seeking the execution of Sanjay Roy, the main accused in the RG Kar rape and murder case. Further it is worth mentioning that the Calcutta High Court said that only the investigating agency that is CBI has the right to file this case. The Division Bench of Justice Devangshu Basak gave the order. It is worth mentioning that on January 28,  the Calcutta High Court heard two separate appeals in the RG Kar case. One from West Bengal government and the other from the CBI. Both the government of West Bengal and the CBI had challenged the trial court’s order of sentencing Sanjoy Roy to life imprisonment till death. The CBI had termed the award by the lower court as, “inadequate punishment”. In the RG Kar case, the West Bengal government filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in High Court (HC) seeking death penalty for Sanjay Roy. On the RG Kar case convict, Sanjay Roy being sentenced to life imprisonment, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee told ANI, ” We had demanded the death penalty. We had even made law but Central Government did not approve it.” She further said that, “I am a lawyer, and I have studied law, if someone escapes after committing a crime, he will commit the crime again” The West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spoke on Sealdah Court sentencing life imprisonment to the convict in the RG Kar case. In a media interaction post the judgement she said she was disappointed. The Sealdah Civil and Criminal Court pronounced the award of the RG Kar case judgement. The Court awarded life imprisonment to accused Sanjay Roy on January 20, 2025. Further, the West Bengal Sealdah court imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000. It is worth mentioning that, during the hearing of the, the Central Bureau of Investigation sought “capital punishment” for the accused Sanjay Roy. Explaining the penalties of the section, the court said to the accused Sanjay Roy, “I told you the previous day the charges you were convicted against and the charges that have been proven against you.”