The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has approached the Calcutta High Court, requesting the death penalty for Sanjay Roy, convicted of rape and murder in the RG Kar Medical College case in Kolkata. Roy was previously sentenced to life imprisonment by a lower court.

The CBI argued that the petition filed by the West Bengal government seeking the death penalty is not maintainable, asserting that only the union government or the CBI itself has the authority to challenge the adequacy of the sentence in such cases. The probe agency’s stance has intensified its clash with the Mamata Banerjee-led state government, which has been critical of the CBI’s handling of the case.

The case has sparked widespread protests across West Bengal, including demonstrations by doctors and citizens, escalating tensions between the Trinamool Congress government and the central agency.

The Bengal government has expressed frustration over the lower court’s decision to sentence Roy to life imprisonment, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemning the leniency. "When someone commits such heinous crimes, should they be forgiven? If left unchecked, they may repeat such acts. Society must not shield them," Banerjee remarked.

The trial court had ruled that while the crime was "particularly heinous," the sentence must align with the principles of reformative justice. Justice Anirban Das emphasized that the evidence presented by the CBI did not meet the threshold required to classify the case as among the "rarest of rare" that warrants the death penalty.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has taken suo moto cognisance of the case and is set to resume hearings today. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan, is reviewing the matter.

In a prior hearing in November 2024, the Supreme Court had declined a plea to transfer the trial outside West Bengal. A bench, headed by then CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, had ruled against moving the case, ensuring that the proceedings remain within the state.

The high-stakes legal battle continues, with both the state government and the CBI pushing for stricter punishment in the high-profile case.