Convict’s Mother stated, “If the court decides to hang him to death, I don’t have any objection as his crime has been proved in the eye of the law. I will cry alone but accept it as a quirk of fate, something willed by destiny.”
KOLKATA: The mother of Sanjay Roy, who was convicted for the rape and murder of a medic from R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, expressed her views on Sunday, saying that if her son is guilty, he should face the punishment he deserves, even if it means being sentenced to death.
She added that although she will “cry alone,” she will accept the punishment as her fate.
Initially hesitant to speak to the media after Sanjay’s conviction by the Sealdah Court on January 18, Malati Roy, Sanjay’s mother, shared her feelings with reporters on Sunday morning.
She said, “Being a woman, and a mother of three daughters, I can feel the anguish and pain of the mother of the woman medic who is like my daughter.”
She further stated, “If the court decides to hang him to death, I don’t have any objection as his crime has been proved in the eye of the law. I will cry alone but accept it as a quirk of fate, something willed by destiny.”
Malati, a 70-year-old woman, spoke from the doorstep of her modest shanty on Shambhunath Pandit Street, located about 5 kilometers from the Sealdah Court.
When asked whether she had attended any court hearings or visited her son in the lockup, Malati replied,
“No. Why should I? Despite my failing health, I would have tried to visit if the charges were found to be untrue.” Sanjay has three sisters, one of whom passed away several years ago.
One of Sanjay’s elder sisters, who resides near Malati’s home at her in-laws’ place, spoke out on Saturday. She stated that if Sanjay is proven guilty, the law should run its course, and the family has no intention of challenging the verdict in court.
The sister, whose face was partially covered with a dupatta, said, “Please leave me alone. We are shattered.” She added that she had not attended the court hearings where her brother was produced and convicted.
“But if he has committed any crime, he should get proper punishment. We don’t have any plan to challenge the order on our part. I am living in my in-laws’ house. I don’t have any contact with my family since my marriage in 2007 while my mother is not well,” she explained.
The sister, who did not wish to disclose her identity, described her brother’s earlier years, saying,
“My brother used to be like any normal boy during his childhood days. As he grew up, he turned to booze, but apart from that, I myself did not ever hear any case about Sanjay misbehaving with any woman. Of course, as we did not have regular contact with him in the past few years and he used to live in a separate locality, I don’t have any fair idea about his associations and whether he was involved in any criminal offence.”
She also raised concerns about the investigation, stating, “There are reports in media that Sanjay was not alone at the site of crime. So I would expect that investigations must have been thorough to find only one person’s involvement in such a crime. Had others been involved directly or indirectly, that should also be investigated and they should be brought to book.”
Reflecting on the family’s ordeal since Sanjay’s arrest, the sister said,
“Since Sanjay’s arrest, we were under the stigma and everyone from neighbours to relatives would point fingers at us saying we are Sanjay’s family. I hope we are clearing the air now.”
What is the RG Kar rape-murder case?
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.
Roy was found guilty under Section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, addressing rape, and Sections 66 and 103(1), which prescribe the maximum punishment of death or life imprisonment for murder.
