RG Kar rape-murder case: HC admits CBI’s appeal against trial court’s life term sentence to convict
Kolkata (PTI): The Calcutta High Court on 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 on 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 on October 7 and the charge against Roy was framed on November 4.
The trial court on 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 on January 27 reserved its order on the admission of two appeals.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
