Court to decide sentence in RG Kar doctor’s rape-murder; convict Sanjay Roy alleges framing, forced confession

Public Lokpal
January 20, 2025

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Court to decide sentence in RG Kar doctor’s rape-murder; convict Sanjay Roy alleges framing, forced confession

KOLKATA: A court in Kolkata will on Monday afternoon pronounce the quantum of punishment of Sanjay Roy, who has been convicted of raping and murdering an on-duty doctor at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital here.

The charges under which Roy has been convicted entail a minimum sentence of life imprisonment, while the maximum can be capital punishment.

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das in Sealdah had on Saturday declared Roy guilty of rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee at the hospital on August 9 last year.

The gruesome crime had led to nationwide outrage and prolonged protests.

Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was arrested on August 10, a day after the 31-year-old medic's body was found in the seminar room of the hospital.

Found guilty of sexually assaulting the doctor and throttling her to death, Roy was convicted by the judge under Sections 64, 66 and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Section 64 (rape) of the BNS entails a punishment of not less than 10 years and can go up to life term. Section 66 (punishment for causing death or resulting in persistent vegetative state of victim) provides for punishment of not less than 20 years that may extend to imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person's natural life, or with death. Section 103(1) (murder) of BNS provides for the death penalty or imprisonment for life to a person convicted of the crime.

The judge said the over 160-page judgement, which will be completed after the pronouncement of the sentence, will also categorically answer some questions raised by the complainant, the father of the victim.

Judge Das said that he has, in the judgement, criticised some activities of the police as well as the hospital authority.

The investigation into the case was transferred from the Kolkata Police to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court.

The judge said that Roy's statement will be heard at 12:30 pm, and the sentence will be pronounced thereafter.

At the time of delivery of the verdict on Saturday, Roy claimed in court that he had been framed.

The parents of the deceased doctor have expressed gratitude to the court for delivering justice.

The accused Sanjay Roy, on Monday claimed in a court here that he was innocent and had been "wrongly held guilty".

Roy was on Saturday held guilty of sexually assaulting the doctor and throttling her to death in August last year.

"I am being framed and have not committed any crime. I have not done anything, and still, I have been held guilty," Roy told the court ahead of sentencing in the case.

"I was beaten up in the prison and was forced to sign papers," he added.

Roy was convicted by Judge Anirban Das of the Additional District and Sessions Court, Sealdah under Sections 64, 66, and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on Saturday.

During the proceedings, the CBI lawyer pleaded for the highest penalty for the convict, calling the crime "rarest of the rare".

"We pray for the highest penalty to maintain people's faith in society," the agency's counsel told the court.

The defence lawyer of Roy argued that the prosecution must provide evidence, which can prove that there is no possibility of reform of the convict.

The defence lawyer prayed for “an alternative punishment other than the death penalty” to allow his reformation.

The lawyer representing the parents of the deceased doctor prayed for the maximum punishment, arguing that Roy, being a civic volunteer, was entrusted with the security of the hospital, but had himself committed the heinous crime on the victim he was supposed to protect.

PTI