NEW DELHI: The parents of the 31-year-old doctor who was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last year on Monday expressed discontent with the Kolkata court sentencing the convict to life imprisonment until death, along with a fine of Rs 50,000.
The grieving parents were unsatisfied with the court’s refusal to award the death penalty, which they believe should have been given due to the heinous nature of the crime.
“We are shocked. How is this not the rarest of rare cases? An on-duty doctor was raped and murdered. We are dismayed. There was a larger conspiracy behind this crime,” the mother of the deceased doctor told news agency PTI.
She went on to express her dissatisfaction with the investigation claiming that it was carried out half-heartedly and that other culprits involved in the crime were being shielded.
The father of the deceased also voiced his frustration, saying that they would continue their fight for justice by appealing to a higher court. “We will not rest until all the other culprits are brought to justice and punished accordingly,” he said, reiterating their determination to seek accountability.
The case involved the brutal rape and murder of the doctor in August last year while she was on duty at the state-run hospital. The incident shocked the nation and raised serious concerns about the safety of medical professionals working in high-risk environments.
During the court proceedings, the CBI lawyer had called for the death penalty, describing the crime as “rarest of the rare,” and pointing out that awarding the highest punishment would uphold public faith in the justice system. However, the defense lawyer countered, arguing that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove the convict’s irredeemable nature.
Despite the strong arguments made by the prosecution, the judge ruled that the crime did not meet the criteria for the death penalty, resulting in the imposition of life imprisonment. The court also ordered a compensation of Rs 17 lakh to be paid to the family of the deceased doctor.