Calcutta High Court to hear convict Sanjay Roy’s appeal against life sentence in RG Kar rape-murder case. CBI seeks death penalty, calling it a “rarest of rare” crime.
Kolkata: Today, on July 16, the Calcutta High Court has said that it will hear in September the appeal filed by Sanjoy Roy, the man convicted of raping and murdering a 31-year-old postgraduate medical student from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. This appeal has been filed against his conviction by the trial court.
A Division Bench of Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi stated that the court will also hear the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) appeal along with Roy’s plea.
The CBI has filed a separate appeal asking the court to increase Roy’s sentence from life imprisonment to the death penalty.
The Bench said Roy’s request for acquittal and the CBI’s request for harsher punishment will be considered together.
During the court proceedings, Roy’s lawyer argued that he was wrongly convicted. According to the lawyer, Roy was sentenced based only on one witness’s statement and some circumstantial evidence.
On the other hand, the CBI firmly stood by its demand for capital punishment. The CBI told the court that Roy’s actions were extremely brutal.
As per their statement,
“the act is heinous and rarest of rare, deserving death penalty.”
Earlier, in January 2025, a special CBI court in Sealdah sentenced Sanjoy Roy to life imprisonment. He was found guilty of raping and murdering the medical student on the night of August 8, 2024.
At the time of the crime, Roy was working as a civic police volunteer.
The court convicted Roy under the following sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita: Section 64 for rape, Section 66 for causing death during rape, and Section 103(1) for murder.
The CBI court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him. In addition, Roy was ordered to pay ₹17 lakh as compensation to the victim’s family.
The incident sparked nationwide outrage and massive protests. Doctors across India held strikes and demonstrations demanding fast and strict punishment for the crime.
ALSO READ: [RG Kar Rape and Murder Case] “False Records Created In Police Station”: CBI Tells Court
Roy was arrested just two days later, on August 10, 2024, after the investigators found strong evidence against him. CCTV footage, forensic reports, and DNA test results directly connected him to the crime scene.
Representing Roy in court are Senior Advocate Kaushik Gupta and Advocate Senjuti Chakrabarti. Both lawyers have been appointed through the Calcutta High Court Legal Services Committee.
Case Title:
Sanjay Roy v The Central Bureau of Investigation.
Click Here to Read More Reports RG kar Rape case
