Sanjay Rai seeks acquittal in RG Kar rape & murder case, HC accepts case

The Calcutta High Court has accepted the plea of Sanjay Rai, the main accused in the notorious RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case, seeking his acquittal. This decision by the court means that the case filed by Sanjay Rai will now be heard alongside the case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), setting the stage for a critical legal battle. The High Court has indicated that the next hearing for this high-profile case will take place in September, drawing nationwide attention.

On Wednesday, a division bench led by Justice Debangshu Basak of the Calcutta High Court formally accepted Sanjay Rai's petition. The division bench also made it clear that the victim's family will be permitted to cooperate with the court during the proceedings, ensuring that their perspective and concerns are heard as the legal process unfolds.

Sanjay Rai's lawyer presented arguments in court, asserting that the charges against his client are not adequately proven based on the available evidence. The lawyer contended that there are sufficient grounds and reasons to warrant his client's acquittal, challenging the previous conviction and seeking a reversal of the judgment.

Incidentally, Sanjay Rai had filed a case in the High Court seeking his acquittal on June 17. This move came after a Sealdah court, in January, had sentenced him to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a medical student from RG Kar Hospital. Sanjay Rai, who was a dismissed civic volunteer, is now challenging that verdict in the High Court, initiating a new phase of the legal battle.