Calcutta HC to Hear Sanjay Roy’s Acquittal Plea on July 16

The Calcutta High Court has scheduled a hearing for July 16, 2025, to consider an appeal by Sanjay Roy, convicted of raping and murdering a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, seeking acquittal. Roy, sentenced to life imprisonment until death on January 20, 2025, by the Sealdah sessions court, claims he is innocent of the August 9, 2024, crime that triggered nationwide outrage.

The appeal, filed before Justices Debangsu Basak and Prasenjit Biswas, follows the court’s earlier admission of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plea seeking the death penalty for Roy, arguing the case’s “rarest of rare” nature. The court, however, rejected a similar appeal from the West Bengal government, stating only the CBI, as the prosecuting agency, could challenge the sentence. Roy’s counsel has been directed to share the appeal with all parties involved.

Roy, a former civic volunteer, was arrested by Kolkata Police on August 10, 2024, a day after the doctor’s body was found in the hospital’s seminar room. The investigation was transferred to the CBI on August 13, 2024, following public distrust in the initial probe. Despite Roy’s claims of being framed and allegations of evidence tampering, the trial court convicted him based on forensic evidence, including DNA and CCTV footage. The victim’s parents, dissatisfied with the life sentence, plan to approach the Supreme Court, alleging a broader conspiracy.

Also Read: Zelenskyy and Pope Leo XIV Propose Vatican as Venue for Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks

Also Read: Delhi Govt Schools to Add English Medium Sections