Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court will hear in September the plea of Sanjoy Roy, convicted in the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College, seeking acquittal in the case.
A division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi which accepted the plea will also hear a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has sought capital punishment for Roy.
During the hearing on Wednesday, Roy’s counsel argued that there was no conclusive evidence establishing Roy’s guilt. “The investigation is still underway as the allegations against Roy have not been proven on the basis of evidence. There are enough reasons to acquit him,” his lawyer submitted. Roy’s counsel further maintained that the trial court had wrongly sentenced him to life imprisonment, claiming he was not the person responsible for the crime. “The victim’s family has pressed on finding the real culprit. So, he should be acquitted,” the lawyer added.
The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for September. Appearing for the CBI, advocate Rajdeep Majumdar urged the High Court to award the death penalty to Roy. “The CBI is seeking capital punishment for Sanjoy Roy. The reason being the brutal act he had committed and an exemplary punishment should be set for the society,” he submitted.
In January this year, the Sealdah Court had sentenced Roy to life imprisonment following his conviction in the case. Roy later filed an appeal before the High Court challenging the verdict. The case stems from the discovery of a junior doctor’s body on August 9, 2024, in the seminar hall on the fourth floor of RG Kar Medical College, where she was on duty. Kolkata Police had arrested Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer. Subsequently, the CBI took over the probe following directions from the court.
Allegations were also made against the then principal of the medical college, Sandip Ghosh.