Today, On 21st January, The West Bengal government requested the Calcutta High Court to award the death penalty to Sanjay Roy in the RG Kar rape and murder case. The investigation and prosecution were handled by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) instead of the State Police. This case has drawn significant public attention due to its gruesome nature. The court’s decision is now awaited in this high-profile matter.
Kolkata: The West Bengal government approached the Calcutta High Court to seek the death penalty for Sanjay Roy, convicted in the rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das sentenced Roy to life imprisonment, stating that the crime did not qualify as “rarest of rare,” which is the criterion for imposing capital punishment.
The State government presented the matter before a Bench led by Justice Debangshu Basak, indicating its intention to appeal for the death penalty. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had previously expressed her shock at the trial court’s decision, stating,
“In the R.G. Kar junior doctor’s rape and murder case, I am really shocked to see that the judgement of the Court today finds that it is not a Rarest of Rare case! I am convinced that it is indeed a rarest of rare case which demands capital punishment. How could the judgement come to the conclusion that it is not a rarest of rare case?!”
Notably, the investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after it was transferred from the Kolkata Police by the Calcutta High Court.
The case pertains to the rape and murder of a 31-year-old resident doctor, whose body discovered in a seminar hall at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, 2024. An autopsy confirmed that she had been raped and murdered, leading to nationwide outrage and protests, with doctors across the country going on strike to demand stricter laws for their safety.
Roy, a civic volunteer with the city police, was arrested on August 10, 2024, just a day after the incident. The trial commenced on November 12, 2024, and concluded on January 9, with the CBI seeking the death penalty for Roy. He was convicted on January 18 after a 57-day in-camera trial.
In delivering the verdict, the judge pointed out,
“The CCTV footages, the version of the accused during his examination, the contradictory defence pleas without any evidence, and the DNA examination reports point the arrows towards this accused only.”
The court also noted lapses by both the Kolkata police and RG Kar Hospital in handling the case but emphasized that these did not undermine the prosecution’s case.
Ultimately, the court declined to impose the death penalty, asserting that “courts must rise above primitive considerations like ‘an eye for an eye’ when it comes to imposing punishment” and that justice should be based on evidence rather than public sentiment.
On August 9 last year, a 31-year-old junior doctor was raped and murdered at the state-run RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata. Her body was discovered in the hospital’s seminar room. The incident sparked nationwide outrage and led to prolonged protests by junior doctors in West Bengal, demanding justice and improved security at government hospitals.
The trial began on November 11, three months after the incident, in a Kolkata court. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the case from the Kolkata Police following a directive from the Calcutta High Court, has sought the “maximum punishment” for Roy. The trial concluded on January 9.
Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer with Kolkata Police, was convicted on Saturday for the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The crime, which occurred on August 9, triggered nationwide outrage over women’s safety. The verdict, delivered by Anirban Das, Additional District and Sessions Judge of the Sealdah court, came 57 days after the in-camera trial commenced on November 12.