– Shabana Javed
Kolkata: The Sealdah court on Monday sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment in the rape and murder case of a junior doctor from Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Despite his conviction under Sections 64, 66, and 103(1) of the IPC, the court chose life imprisonment over death penalty. The sentencing came 164 days after the young doctor’s brutal death.
The court also directed the state to provide ₹17 lakh in financial assistance to the victim’s parents. However, the parents rejected the compensation. “What should we do with the financial assistance? We don’t need the money. We want justice for our daughter’s death,” they told the court.
The victim’s father questioned the CBI handling of the case, expressing doubts about whether Sanjay had been properly interrogated. He remarked, “The CBI failed to prove this as a rarest of rare case, which is why the court handed down life imprisonment. We were not informed about the progress of the investigation.”
The victim’s parents have previously voiced dissatisfaction with the CBI’s approach.
On August 8, 2024, the junior doctor was on a night shift at RG Kar Medical College. Later, her body was discovered in the hospital’s seminar hall.
The victim’s family has since joined protests demanding justice for their daughter. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her shock at the verdict on X, stating, “The verdict in the RG Kar rape and murder case has declared this is not a rarest of rare case. I will now approach the High Court, seeking death penalty.”
Dr. Asfaqullah, a prominent voice in the movement for justice in this case, criticised the outcome, stating, “Full justice has not been done. Only partial justice has been achieved.”
