The West Bengal government on Tuesday moved the Calcutta High Court seeking death penalty for Civic Volunteer Sanjoy Roy in the rape and murder
case of a 31-year-old woman Junior doctor in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 ,2024.
The government moved the High Court a day after the Sealdah Civil and Criminal Court’s Additional Sessions Judge Justice Anirban Das handed the life sentence to convict Roy, saying the case could not be categorised as ‘rarest of the rare’and directed the state to pay compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the victim’s parents.
The Calcutta High Court granted permission to the government to file the appeal against the lower court order, sources added.
State Advocate General Kishor Datta moved the petition before a Division bench headed by Justice Debangsu Basak.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction over the ruling of the trial court and said a prisoner sentenced to life is sometimes released after two to three years or on parole.
” Is it acceptable that a criminal of such rape and murder case gets freedom and roam in the society” Banerjee said in Malda.
” For me, his crime is the rarest, highly sensitive and heinous in the society and we want such criminals to get the death penalty,” the Bengal CM said.
The Chief Minister said that she knew about the laws as she practised and did some cases.
“We demanded capital punishment and we continue to stand by it, she added.
On Monday the Chief Minister expressed shock to see that the judgement of the Court finds that it is not a Rarest of Rare case.
” I am convinced that it is indeed a rarest of the rare cases which demand capital punishment. How could the judgement conclude that it is not the rarest of rare case? she asked.
Banerjee said in the last 3/4 months,” We have been able to ensure capital/ maximum punishment for convicts in such crimes. Then, why, in this case, has capital punishment not been awarded? She asked.
“I strongly feel that it is a heinous crime that warrants capital punishment. We will plead for capital punishment of the convict at the High Court now.” Banerjee said