Cal HC grants permission to govt to appeal 'life term till death' order in RG Kar case, Mamata seeks death penalty

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction with the Sealdah court’s verdict sentencing Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment until death in the RG Kar hospital doctor's rape and murder case. She asserted that the case was "forcibly" taken away from the Kolkata Police, claiming they would have ensured a death penalty if they had handled the investigation.

Speaking in Murshidabad on Monday, Banerjee criticised the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its handling of the case, stating, “From day one, all of us had demanded the death sentence, but the court has given a life term until death. Had the Kolkata Police investigated, we would have ensured the death penalty.”

Referring to other cases, she pointed out, “In the three cases we handled — Jaynagar, Farakka, and Guralp — our police successfully secured death sentences through proper investigation and chargesheets.” Banerjee reiterated her demand for the "most severe punishment" and announced that the state government would challenge the verdict in the Calcutta High Court.

On Tuesday, the Calcutta High Court granted the West Bengal government permission to file an appeal against the Sealdah court order. Advocate General Kishor Datta moved a division bench presided over by Justice Debangsu Basak to seek the death penalty for Roy, the sole convict in the case.

The Sealdah court, presided by Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das, had sentenced Roy to life imprisonment until death, rejecting calls for the death penalty by ruling the crime did not meet the "rarest of the rare" criteria. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Roy and directed the state government to pay Rs 17 lakh compensation to the doctor’s family.

Expressing her shock, Banerjee said, “I am convinced this is a rarest of rare case that demands capital punishment. How could the court conclude otherwise?” She added, “Recently, in the last 3-4 months, we have ensured capital punishment in similar cases. Why was it not awarded here?” The chief minister’s remarks came in the wake of prolonged nationwide protests over the horrific crime, which occurred at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, 2024.