Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday opposed the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal Government's appeal for the death penalty to Sanjay Roy, the convict in the RG Kar rape and murder case. The federal probe agency said that the state could not file an appeal in the area as it probed the matter.
As the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday morning, CBI challenged the petition by the state government and questioned the grounds on which it could make such an appeal. The deputy solicitor general, Rajdeep Majumdar argued that it was only the CBI, which is the investigating agency in the case, and the victim's parents who could move such a plea at a higher court, and not the state government, which is not a party in the case, reported IANS.
The West Bengal government challenged the special court order and approached Calcutta High Court's division bench on Tuesday.
Whether the state government's petition on this count will be admissible or not will be heard at the same division bench on January 27. The Additional District and Sessions Court in Kolkata's Sealdah on January 20 sentenced Roy to life imprisonment till death in the RG Kar rape and murder case.
The court observed that it was not "the rarest of the rare" case. The court also directed the state to pay compensation of Rs 17 lakh to RG Kar doctor's family in the rape and murder case. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000.
The court found Roy guilty of raping and then murdering a post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. The judgment was pronounced on Saturday, January 18.
Roy was arrested the day after the heinous crime was committed. He was convicted under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). During the hearing, Roy made some shocking claims that an IPS officer was also involved in the crime. "I have been falsely implicated. I have not done this. Those who have done so are being let go. One IPS involved," Roy said as reported by ANI.
