RG Kar case: Calcutta HC begins hearing of twin appeals by Bengal govt, CBI

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Monday began hearing for admission of two separate appeals, one by the West Bengal government and the other by the CBI, challenging a trial court order which sentenced RG Kar hospital rape-murder convict Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment till death.

The CBI has claimed that, unlike the state government, it has the right to challenge the trial court order on grounds of inadequacy of sentence since it was the investigation and prosecution agency in the case. Claiming that the Sealdah sessions court order sentencing Roy to life imprisonment till death was inadequate, both the CBI and the state government have separately prayed that the convict be awarded capital punishment.

Advocate General Kishore Dutta, representing the West Bengal government, opened the day's arguments before a division bench presided by Justice Debangsu Basak, for admission of the state's appeal claiming that it also has the right to appeal against the trial court judgement.