RG Kar: Mamata expresses dismay over Sealdah court sentencing convict to life in jail till death

Kolkata, Jan 21 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday again expressed dismay over the Sealdah court's decision to award life imprisonment till death to Sanjay Roy, the sole convict in the rape-murder of an on-duty doctor at the state-run RG Kar hospital here.

The court rejected calls for death penalty, stating that it was not a "rarest of the rare" crime.

"I have been seeking capital punishment for the accused in the RG Kar rape-murder case. If someone is so demonic and barbaric, how can society remain humane? We passed the Aparajita Bill, but the Centre is sitting on it," Banerjee said at a public meeting in Malda. "We have included the death penalty in that Bill. We want this Bill to become a model for the country," she added.

Banerjee said, "If someone is given life imprisonment, then the person can get parole. If someone commits a crime, should we forgive him? We have encountered cases where people have gone out (of prison) within three months and even on parole. I am really very shocked by the judgment. I was once a lawyer and fought several cases. The Sealdah court judge said it was not the rarest of rare cases and could not award capital punishment. If this is not the rarest of rare cases then what is?" The Aparajita Bill passed by the West Bengal Assembly in September 2024 seeks capital punishment for rape convicts if their actions result in the victim's death or leave her in a vegetative state and stipulates life sentence without parole for other perpetrators.

"I feel it is rare, sensitive and a heinous crime committed by the accused... If someone gets away after committing a crime, he will again do a crime. It is not our job to give him protection," she said.

On Monday, Banerjee expressed "dissatisfaction" over the Sealdah court's order and claimed the probe was "forcibly" taken away from the state police, asserting that had it been with them, they would have ensured death penalty.

In a post on X, Banerjee said the state government would challenge the Sealdah court's verdict and move Calcutta High Court.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday granted permission to the West Bengal government to file an appeal against the Sealdah court order.

Advocate General Kishor Datta moved a division bench presided by Justice Debangsu Basak to file the appeal to seek death penalty of Roy, the sole convict in the case. PTI DC SCH RG MNB