The West Bengal government has filed a petition with the Calcutta High Court, seeking the death penalty for the convict in the RG Kar rape and murder case. The Sessions Court had previously sentenced the individual to life imprisonment, ruling that the case did not meet the criteria for the "rarest of rare" category.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the verdict on her 'X' handle, promising to challenge it in the High Court.

Significantly, in his verdict, Sessions Judge Anirban Das also highlighted concerns over the police's investigative lapses and the college authorities' attempts to cover up the matter.

The incident, which took place in August 2024, sparked widespread outrage across the country. The High Court transferred the case to the CBI, which subsequently filed its chargesheet in the Sessions Court. The matter was also escalated to the Supreme Court, which took suo motu cognizance to establish guidelines for the workplace safety of doctors and to oversee the investigation.

In the wake of the horrific incident, protests erupted across Kolkata and the entire country, with widespread demands for justice for the victims. In response, the Calcutta High Court, through a PIL, transferred the investigation to the CBI, which took over from the West Bengal CID. The CID had previously arrested the main accused, Sanjoy Roy, in the rape-murder case.

Several cases were filed before the Calcutta High Court, which also transferred the investigation into the alleged malfeasance and corruption involving former principal Sandip Ghosh to the CBI.

Cases were also filed against the Officer-in-Charge of the jurisdictional police station, who had initially registered the case as one of 'unnatural death,' suggesting that the victim may have committed suicide, allegedly in collusion with the former principal. However, due to the CBI's inability to file a chargesheet against the principal and the OC within the prescribed time, both were granted bail.

Thus, the only remaining accused in the case, against whom the CBI had filed a chargesheet, was the principal accused, Sanjoy Roy.