The killing at a government-run hospital in Kolkata sparked nationwide protests
A court in the Indian city of Kolkata has sentenced Sanjay Roy, convicted for the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a state-run hospital, to life in prison.
The case sparked months-long protests last year, with people demanding justice for the victim and better working conditions and protection for medical professionals
Counsels from the Central Bureau of Investigation, along with the victim’s family members, had sought for capital punishment for the killer. However, judge Anirban Das said the case does not meet the stringent criteria of “rarest of the rare” for capital punishment. “You will be in the prison till the last day of your life,” Das told Roy, while reading out the sentence on Monday, according to The Hindu newspaper.
In the 172-page order, the judge said the case calls for a “carefully considered and appropriate sentence that balances the gravity of the crime with the principles of justice, rehabilitation and the preservation of human dignity.” The judge also noted that the court must resist the temptation to bow to public pressure or emotional appeals.
In August 2024, the semi-naked body of a female trainee doctor – whose identity has been withheld in line with a Supreme court ruling – was found in a hallway at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
A day later, Roy, who was working on the hospital premises as police volunteer, was identified as the prime suspect and subsequently arrested. Amid delays in the investigation and a growing public outcry, India’s top investigative agency sent a team of experts from New Delhi to probe the case. Roy then confessed to sexually assaulting and murdering the young doctor.
The rape and murder triggered a strike at the hospital, with doctors refusing to work except in emergency cases. Thousands of doctors marched in Kolkata and other cities to denounce the atrocity, and demand better security for staff. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has sought measures to enhance the safety of doctors, particularly women, in the workplace.
The outcry over the incident has drawn comparisons to a wave of national outrage over the 2012 Nirbhaya case, in which a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern was beaten, gang-raped, and brutally tortured in a moving bus in New Delhi. The four men convicted in the case were executed by hanging in March 2020.
A reference to Nirbhaya was made following the Kolkata court’s verdict on Monday. “He (Sanjay Roy) should be hanged as he has committed a heinous crime. During the Nirbhaya rape case too we had sought death penalty for such criminals,” said Ramdas Athawale, the minister of state for social justice and empowerment.
Echoing his remark, Chief Minister of West Bengal state Mamata Banerjee expressed shock at the judgement, insisting it was a “heinous crime that warrants capital punishment.” The West Bengal government has appealed to the High Court, seeking the death penalty for Roy.
The court also ruled that the victim’s parents will receive a compensation of $20,000. The family told the court that they do not want compensation. “We only want justice.”
