NEW DELHI: A Kolkata court on Monday sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment after he was convicted of rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000.
Ahead of the sentencing, Roy pleaded his innocence and said that he was being framed.
“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 told the court.
Also read:‘I am being framed,’ says RG Kar rape-murder accused Sanjay Roy ahead of sentencing
Before the sentencing, Roy’s lawyer argued against capital punishment and said that the prosecutor had to prove why Roy was “not worth reformation and should be completely eliminated from society”.
“Even if it is a rarest of rare case, 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,” the lawyer had said.
Ahead of the hearing, the victim’s parents said that they will only feel “truly satisfied” when Roy will be “sentenced to death”. They also alleged that there were others responsible and said they will continue their fight for justice.
“The (trial court) judge delivered the verdict they deemed right. But we will continue our fight until we uncover who else is involved in this incident. We will go wherever and as far as needed for that.” “We will also be present at the Sealdah court on Monday during the announcement of the punishment, having witnessed the conviction judgment on Saturday. While we strongly want the convicted to be sentenced to death, we will only feel truly satisfied when, along with Sanjay, all the other culprits are also sentenced to death,” the victim’s mother told TOI.
Also read:Victim’s father demands harshest punishment for Sanjay Roy, alleges involvement of others
Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was found guilty by additional district and sessions judge Anirban Das on Saturday. The crime, which occurred on August 9 last year, sparked nationwide outrage and protests.
Roy was arrested the day after the doctor’s body was discovered in a hospital seminar room. The court convicted him under sections 64, 66, and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which carry sentences ranging from life imprisonment to the death penalty.
The prosecution, led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), relied on forensic evidence, including DNA, toxicology reports, and CCTV footage, which linked Roy to the crime. Despite his claims of being framed, Roy’s involvement was established through biological evidence, physical injuries to the victim, and traces of his personal belongings at the crime scene.
The CBI’s investigation, which included testimony from over 120 witnesses, concluded that the victim died from strangulation and smothering. The case, described by the CBI as “rarest of the rare,” has garnered widespread attention, with the victim’s parents expressing their gratitude for the justice delivered.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)