Kolkata, February 9: On the birthday of the victim in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case, doctors, along with the Citizen Forum, organized a silent rally from College Square to Shyambazar in Kolkata. Junior and senior doctors participated in the peaceful protest, demanding justice.
Earlier, on January 20, the Sealdah Civil and Criminal Court sentenced the accused, Sanjay Roy, to life imprisonment for his involvement in the rape and murder. Additionally, the court imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him. During the proceedings, the Central Bureau of Investigation had called for the death penalty for Roy. The court addressed Roy directly, explaining the charges that had been proven against him. In response, Roy denied the accusations, claiming his innocence and asserting that he was being "falsely implicated."
"I have done nothing, neither rape nor murder. I am being falsely accused. You have seen everything. I am innocent. I was tortured and forced to sign whatever they wanted," said Sanjay Roy.
The defense lawyer argued that even if the crime was considered "rarest of rare," there should still be a possibility for reformation. "Even in the rarest of rare cases, there should be room for rehabilitation. The court must explain why the convict is irredeemable and should be completely eliminated from society," the defense lawyer stated.
However, the victim's family lawyer insisted on the death penalty, saying, "I demand the maximum punishment." The father of the deceased also reiterated his demand for the harshest possible sentence. "We will continue our fight in the courts and on the streets. We have full faith in the judge's decision. On Saturday, the judge said the harshest punishment would be imposed," the father said to ANI.
In a separate development, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her dissatisfaction with the court's decision to grant life imprisonment instead of the death penalty. "I heard about the sentencing through the media. We have always called for the death penalty and will continue to stand by that demand. This is the court's decision, and I cannot say much about it. However, if this case had been handled by the Kolkata Police, we would have ensured a death penalty much sooner," said Mamata Banerjee. She added that in the past, the Kolkata Police had successfully secured death sentences in other high-profile cases by conducting thorough investigations within 54 to 60 days.
