On Monday, a Kolkata court sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The court also fined Roy Rs 50,000. Additionally, the West Bengal government was ordered by the Sealdah court to compensate the victim’s family with Rs 17 lakh.
Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, argued his innocence prior to the judgement. Roy told the court, ““I have not done anything, neither rape nor murder. I am being falsely implicated. You have seen everything. I am innocent. I already told you that I was tortured. They made me sign whatever they wanted”.
In his defense of the death penalty, Roy’s attorney emphasized that the prosecution must demonstrate why Roy should not be changed. The lawyer stated, “Even if it is a rarest of rare case, there should be scope for reformation. The court has to show why the convict is not worth reformation or rehabilitation. The public prosecutor has to present evidence and give reasons why the person is not worth reformation and should be completely eliminated from society”.
The victim’s parents, however, stated that they wanted Roy to be executed. The victim’s mother told a section of the media, “The (trial court) judge delivered the verdict they deemed right. But we will continue our fight until we uncover who else is involved in this incident. We will go wherever and as far as needed for that”.
Anirban Das, an extra district and sessions judge, convicted Roy guilty of the offense on Saturday. The August 9 murder last year provoked protests and anger across the country. The day after the doctor’s death was found in a hospital seminar room, Roy was taken into custody.
Roy was found guilty by the court in accordance with sections 64, 66, and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which entail penalties that range from the death penalty to life in jail. Roy was connected to the crime by the prosecution, which was headed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), using forensic evidence such as CCTV footage, toxicological reports, and DNA.
Roy’s involvement was shown by biological evidence, the victim’s physical injuries, and traces of his personal things at the crime site, despite his assertions that he was set up. After hearing testimony from more than 120 witnesses, the CBI’s investigation came to the conclusion that the victim had been strangled and smothered to death. The CBI referred to the case as the “rarest of the rare,” and it has attracted a lot of attention.
Read Also: Bhumi Pednekar At WEF: “AI Can Democratize Films”
