A Kolkata court sentenced Sanjay Roy, convicted in the RG Kar rape-murder case, to life imprisonment on Monday. The Sealdah Civil and Criminal Court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000. The victim’s family, a 31-year-old doctor, demanded the strictest punishment for Roy.
On Saturday, the court convicted Sanjay Roy in the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in August last year. While sentencing him on Monday, the court declined to award the death penalty, stating it was ‘not a rarest of rare case.’
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had demanded the death penalty for Sanjay Roy, calling the crime in the ‘rarest of rare case category.’ The CBI lawyer argued that the maximum punishment was necessary to maintain public faith in society.
However, Roy’s defence lawyer opposed the demand. They argued the prosecution must prove there was no chance of reform, “Even if it is a rarest of rare cases, there should be scope for reformation. The court must show why the convict is not worth reformation or rehabilitation.” The defence added, “We request any punishment other than the death penalty.”
Meanwhile, Sanjay Roy maintained that he was being framed in the case. “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,” Roy said. He also alleged, “I was beaten up in the prison and was forced to sign papers.”
The court ordered the West Bengal government to provide Rs 17 lakh as compensation to the doctor’s family.
Stay informed on all the , real-time updates, and follow all the important headlines in and on Zee News.
