Court says ‘not rarest of rare cases’, Sanjay Roy gets life imprisonment for RG Kar Hospital rape-murder
KOLKATA,JAN 20 : A Kolkata court sentenced Sanjoy Roy to life imprisonment on Monday for the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das, in Sealdah, had found Roy guilty on Saturday for the crime committed on August 9 last year, which led to widespread and prolonged protests across the country.
Judge Das said the crime did not fall under the “rarest of the rare” category as justification for not giving death penalty to the convict. The court imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the accused.
During the hearing of the case, the Central Bureau of Investigation sought “capital punishment” for the accused Sanjay Roy.
Explaining the penalties of the section, the court said to the accused Sanjay Roy, “I told you the previous day the charges you were convicted against and the charges that have been proven against you.”
When asked about his charges, accused Sanjay Roy claimed that he has not done anything and is being “falsely implicated.”
“I have not done anything, neither rape nor murder. I am being falsely implicated. You have seen everything. I am innocent. I already told you that I was tortured. They made me sign whatever they wanted, accused Sanjay Roy said.
The lawyer of the accused argued that even if the case is “rarest of rare,” there should be scope for reformation. He said, “Even if it is a rarest of rare cases, there should be scope for reformation. The court has to show why the convict is not worth reformation or rehabilitation… The public prosecutor has to present evidence and give reasons why the person is not worth reformation and should be completely eliminated from society…”
However, the victim’s family lawyer said, “I want the death sentence as maximum punishment…”
The father of the victim had demanded harshest punishment to the accused. He said their fight will continue on the streets and in the courts.
“On Saturday, the judge said that the harshest punishment would be given (to the accused). We have full faith in the judge. Our fight will continue in the courts and streets,” the father of the deceased doctor told news agency ANI.
The Court has also directed the state of West Bengal to pay a compensation of Rs 7 lakh to RG Kar the doctor’s family, following Sanjay Roy’s life sentence.
“Since the victim died while on duty in the hospital, her place of work, it is the responsibility of the state to pay compensation to the family of the doctor, Rs 10 lakh for the death and Rs 7 lakh for the rape,” Das said.
Roy was sentenced under Sections 64, 66, and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Section 64 (rape) mandates a punishment of at least 10 years, up to life imprisonment. Section 66, dealing with causing death or a persistent vegetative state, prescribes a sentence of at least 20 years, extending to life imprisonment or death. Section 103(1) (murder) allows for the death penalty or life imprisonment for the convicted individual.
-PTI
