Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court Friday admitted an appeal of the CBI challenging the trial court’s life term till death sentence awarded to RG Kar hospital rape-murder case convict Sanjay Roy.
A division bench, however, refused to admit the West Bengal government’s appeal challenging the quantum of sentence awarded to Roy, the sole convict in the case.
Both the CBI and the state government filed appeals before the high court seeking capital punishment for Roy.
The division bench comprising Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Sabbar Rashidi said that since the CBI conducted the investigation, its appeal challenging the quantum of sentence is being admitted for hearing.
An on-duty medic was raped and murdered inside the seminar room of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital here August 9 last year, sparking outrage across the country.
Roy was arrested by the Kolkata Police the next day.
The Calcutta High Court later handed over the investigation to the CBI.
The central agency filed the charge sheet before the trial court October 7 and the charge against Roy was framed November 4.
The trial court January 20 sentenced Roy to life imprisonment till the end of his natural life, after convicting him in the case.
Both the CBI and the state government separately appealed to the Calcutta High Court, challenging the sentence awarded to Roy and praying for capital punishment for him.
The bench January 27 reserved its order on the admission of two appeals.