Kolkata, Jan 20: The Sealdah court in West Bengal’s Kolkata today awarded life imprisonment to sole convict Sanjay Roy for raping and murdering a 31-year-old duty doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Justice Anirban Das pronounced the sentence and also directed the West Bengal government to pay a compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the victim's parents. The court also noted that the case was not in the 'rarest of the rare' category for a death penalty.
Roy’s last final plea before the Judge was, "I have been framed without any reason. I told you before that I always wear a Rudraksha chain. If I had committed the crime, it would have broken at the crime scene. I was not allowed to speak. They forced me to sign many papers. I was not given a chance to speak. You have seen all of this, sir. I told you before as well."
It is worth mentioning that the body of the 31-year-old woman trainee doctor was discovered in a conference room at the RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, 2024. Investigations revealed that she was sexually assaulted and then brutally murdered.
The incident sparked massive public outrage and widespread protests among medical professionals demanding stringent action against the culprits involved.
Sanjay Roy was arrested just a day after the crime, on August 10, 2024. His arrest came after investigators discovered a Bluetooth earphone near the victim’s body.
CCTV footage further confirmed Roy's involvement, showing him entering the seminar hall wearing a device around his neck that matched the one found at the crime scene.
The trial for this case began on November 12, 2024 behind closed doors. A total of 50 witnesses were interrogated during the proceedings before the trial concluded on January 9, 2025.
