Court orders life imprisonment to Sanjay Roy in RG Kar rape-murder case
This story was originally published at 16:02 IST on 20 January 2025
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--Court orders life imprisonment to Sanjay Roy in RG Kar rape-murder case
--CONTEXT: Court Sat held civic worker Roy guilty in RG Kar rape-murder case
NEW DELHI – An additional district court at Sealdah in Kolkata Monday sentenced civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, the accused in the rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, to life imprisonment. Additional District Judge Anirban Das, however, rejected the Central Bureau of Investigation's plea for the death penalty, saying it was not the rarest of rare cases.
The court ordered Roy to pay a fine of INR 50,000 and asked the state of West Bengal to pay INR 1.7 million as compensation to the victim's family. On Saturday, the court had held that Roy was "guilty" of rape and murder of the junior doctor. The court had relied on forensic reports, which pointed to the involvement of Roy in the incident.
Roy claimed that all allegations against him were false. "I am being implicated. I am innocent, I am not being allowed to say anything. I have been tortured, beaten," Roy said. The CBI asked for the death penalty and said Roy's offence fell under the rarest of rare crimes. "She (the victim) was an asset to society. The offence shook India. Not many girl child goes for higher education. It is a gruesome crime," the probe agency said.
The junior doctor was found dead at the seminar hall at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on Aug. 9. Police had, thereafter, arrested Roy in connection with the case. The gruesome incident led to protests and strikes by doctors across several cities demanding justice. On Aug. 13, the Calcutta High Court transferred the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The Central Bureau of Investigation in October filed a chargesheet against the prime accused under Sections 64, 66, 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The agency had sought the harshest punishment for Roy, presenting evidence, including closed-circuit television camera footage, which indicated his presence near the crime scene.
The case caught the Supreme Court's attention on Aug. 20, when it observed that the nation cannot wait for another rape for things to change on the ground. Taking suo moto cognisance of the incident, the apex court had formed a national task force to make recommendations on the safety and working conditions of medical professionals. If women are not able to go to work and conditions are not safe, we are denying them equality, said then Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had said.
The top court had also pulled up Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College, for passing off the victim's case as suicide and not allowing her parents to see the body. The court had also questioned the state government's move to appoint the principal to some other college after his resignation. "When the conduct of the principal is under scrutiny, how was the principal appointed as a principal of another college immediately?" the court had asked.
The court had also come down heavily on the West Bengal Police for its failure to prevent vandalism at the hospital after the incident. On Aug. 15, a large mob vandalised the emergency ward and other areas of the hospital. "What is the police doing? A serious offence has taken place, the crime scene has taken place in hospital... What are they doing? Allowing vandalists to enter the hospital?" asked the top court. "We are unable to comprehend how the state (Bengal) was not able to handle the issue of vandalism at the hospital."
The CBI is also probing a case of financial irregularities at the hospital during Ghosh's tenure. In its 125-page chargesheet, CBI named Ghosh, his close aide Ashish Pandey, and others under sections of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act. End
Reported by Surya Tripathi
Edited by Saji George Titus
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