RG Kar Suo Moto Hearing in Supreme Court Postponed to January 29

New Delhi: Sanjoy Roy, the sole accused in the horrific Abhaya Rape and Murder Case, was convicted by the Sealdah Court and two days post conviction, his quantum of sentence was announced. Sanjoy Roy has been given life imprisonment until death and a fine of Rs 50,000 has also been imposed on him.

Two days after the sentencing, the Supreme Court of India was to hear the suo moto petition in this brutal case; the apex court had taken suo moto cognisance of the matter. As per the causelist published on the website of the Supreme Court, a bench of CJI Sanjiv Khanna comprising of Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan were to hear the petition today but it has now been postponed.

RG Kar Horror Case: CJI Sanjiv Khanna-Led Supreme Court Bench Hears Suo Moto Petition

The RG Kar suo moto hearing in the Supreme Court has now been postponed to next Wednesday, i.e. January 29, 2025 at 2 PM.

Mamata Government Moves Calcutta High Court, Seeks Death Penalty for Sanjoy Roy

A day after the Abhaya Rape and Murder Case convict Sanjoy Roy was given life imprisonment, Mamata Banerjee -led government challenged the Sealdah Court's decision in the Calcutta High Court and sought death penalty for the accused. The petition filed by the Mamata-government has been accepted by the Calcutta High Court. A date of hearing is yet to be announced.

RG Kar Rape and Murder Case: Sanjoy Roy Sentenced to Life Term, Fine of Rs 50,000 Imposed

The Sealdah court sentenced Roy to life imprisonment until death after he was convicted of raping and murdering the on-duty doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, rejecting demands for the death penalty saying it was not a "rarest of the rare" crime. The court also ordered Roy to pay a Rs 50,000 fine and directed the state government to pay compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the family of the deceased doctor.

Holding that "in the realm of modern justice, we must rise above the primitive instinct of an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth or nail for a nail or a life for a life", Das awarded rigorous imprisonment to Roy, the sole convict in the case, for the remainder of his natural life.

The judge also stated in his order that “our duty is not to match brutality with brutality, but to elevate humanity through wisdom, compassion and a deeper understanding of justice. The measure of a civilised society lies not in its ability to exact revenge, but in its capacity to reform, rehabilitate and ultimately to heal.”

Maintaining that the case doesn’t meet the stringent criteria drawn from established guidelines of previous Apex Court judgments for imposing death penalty, the trial court stopped short of classifying the crime as "rarest of the rare".

"The Supreme Court has consistently emphasised that the death penalty should be used only in exceptional circumstances where the collective conscience of the community is so shocked that it expects the holders of judicial power to inflict the death penalty,” Das stated in his order while highlighting that "it is crucial to note that there is no evidence of prior criminal behaviour or misconduct by the convict".