RG Kar rape-murder case: Sanjay Roy sentenced to life imprisonment
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Kolkata: A special court in Kolkata has sentenced Sanjay Roy, the sole accused in the brutal rape and murder of a woman doctor from the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, to life imprisonment.
While delivering the sentence on Monday, Judge Anirban Das of the special court clarified that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s argument that Roy’s crime constituted one of the “rarest of rare crimes” was not valid. Consequently, the judge decided against the death penalty and instead imposed life imprisonment on Roy, an ex-civic volunteer who had been attached to the Kolkata Police.
Additionally, Roy was fined Rs 50,000, and the West Bengal government was directed to pay Rs 17 lakh as compensation to the victim’s family. The judge noted that since the crime occurred at a state-run facility, the state government was legally obligated to provide compensation to the family.
The judge further explained that although the victim's parents had not requested financial compensation for their daughter’s tragic death, the legal framework required the state to offer it. The victim’s family was informed that how the compensation is used is entirely up to them.
Roy was convicted on January 18 for rape (Section 64), causing death or persistent vegetative state (Section 66), and murder (Section 103(I)) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The incident took place on August 9, when the victim's body was found in the seminar hall of R.G. Kar. Initially investigated by a special team of Kolkata Police, the case was later transferred to the CBI, following a directive from the Calcutta High Court. Roy was arrested and handed over to the CBI five days after the crime.
The trial began on November 11, 59 days after the body was discovered, and the conviction was completed on January 18. The sentence was pronounced on Monday, exactly 164 days after the crime.
While the conviction for rape and murder is final, the case regarding the tampering of evidence remains open. The CBI has informed the special court that they are considering filing a supplementary charge sheet on the tampering angle, leaving the case unresolved in that regard.
Last year, former R.G. Kar principal Sandip Ghosh and former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal were granted default bail by the same court after the CBI failed to file a supplementary charge sheet against them within the 90-day period. Both Ghosh and Mondal have been accused of obstructing the investigation and tampering with evidence while the initial investigation was handled by the Kolkata Police before the CBI took over.
With IANS inputs