In a heart-wrenching turn of events, the parents of a 31-year-old doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital have objected to the death penalty for Sanjoy Roy, convicted of the crime. Their lawyer, Gargi Goswami, conveyed this before the Calcutta High Court on Monday.
As Goswami iterated, the family also put it: “Just because their daughter has lost her life does not mean the convict will also have to lose his life.” This shows a very tricky emotional melody in which the family is drowning with their grief.
The Calcutta High Court has reserved its judgment after a preliminary hearing on appeals filed by the West Bengal government and the Central Bureau of Investigation. Both parties have challenged the order of the Sealdah Sessions Court which sentenced Roy to life imprisonment instead of death.
During the proceedings, Advocate General Kishore Dutta, representing the West Bengal government, argued that the trial court’s verdict was insufficient given the gravity of the crime. He cited legal provisions that permit state governments to appeal sentences deemed inadequate, referencing the amendment of Section 377 as an example of such rights.
The Supreme Court had earlier held that only the central government was entitled to file appeals in such cases, but the recent amendments make it clear that states can also seek more severe sentences,” Dutta said. He also prayed for the appointment of a Public Prosecutor to assist the state in this important case.
Justice Debangsu Basak, who was hearing the case, acknowledged that the state has the right to appeal under the federal scheme of things but added that this must be balanced with the role of the central government. The judge said that both appeals by the state and the CBI had an identical venture insofar as their prayer for a higher sentence to the convict is concerned.
