Hearing on RG Kar case appeal starts September

Kolkata

The Calcutta High Court will begin hearing the appeal for acquittal filed by Sanjay Roy, the main accused in the shocking rape and murder case at R.G. Kar Medical College, from September this year. The Division Bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi accepted Roy’s petition and decided to club it with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plea seeking the death penalty for him.

Earlier this year, a Kolkata trial court sentenced Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a woman junior doctor inside the hospital on August 9 last year. Dissatisfied with the life sentence, the CBI approached the High Court demanding the death penalty.

Last week, Sanjay Roy’s lawyer, senior advocate Kaushik Gupta, argued that there was not enough evidence to prove Roy’s guilt and asked for his client’s acquittal. The court also mentioned that the victim’s parents could assist the court during this appeal if they wished.

The junior doctor’s body was found in a seminar hall at the hospital. Initially investigated by Kolkata Police, the case was later handed over to the CBI on the High Court’s order. The CBI declared Roy as the sole accused after a long investigation.

During the probe, the former principal of R.G. Kar Medical College and a former police officer were arrested for allegedly tampering with evidence but were later granted bail.

After months of hearings, Roy was convicted in January this year. Now, with both an acquittal request and a death penalty plea pending, all eyes are on the High Court’s decision starting September.