Let Me Explain: The differing sentences in the RG Kar and Sharon Raj cases

Two recent judgements delivered by courts from different parts of the country have sparked debates and discussions in the last few days.

In West Bengal, 33- year-old Sanjay Roy was sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a 31-year old doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. In Kerala, 24-year-old Greeshma was sentenced to death for the premeditated murder of her partner Sharon Raj.

As many in Kerala celebrate the death penalty awarded to Greeshma, West Bengal is on the boil with protests demanding that Roy be hanged. Even Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants capital punishment for Roy. 

So, in this episode, Dhanya Rajendran looks into how courts decide who deserves the death penalty. If both the judges relied heavily on the same Supreme Court guidelines, why are the judgements so different? 

Watch.

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