A sessions court in Kolkata’s Sealdah on Saturday found civic volunteer Sanjay Roy guilty in the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The case led to nationwide outrage and prolonged protests by hundreds of people.
Sanjay Roy was charged under Section 64 (rape), Section 66 (punishment for causing death), and Section 103 (murder). However, the quantum of the punishment will be will be announced on Monday (January 20).
The maximum punishment for rape under Section 64 is life imprisonment, while the minimum punishment is 10 years.
Section 66, which deals with punishment for causing death in the course of committing rape, prescribes a minimum punishment of 20 years and a maximum of a death sentence.
Section 103, which defines the punishment for murder, allows for either life imprisonment or the death penalty.
The parents of the victim, who were present at the court hearing, broke down after hearing the judgment.
KOLKATA RAPE MUDER CASE
The body of the woman postgraduate trainee was found in a seminar hall at the hospital in the early hours on August 9, 2024. She was allegedly killed after being raped. A civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy, was arrested the next day in connection with the crime. Police identified him through a Bluetooth earphone that was found near the victim’s body. Roy was seen in CCTV footage entering the seminar hall with the device around his neck.
Notably, the Assistant Superintendent was among the people questioned by the Kolkata Police in connection with the trainee doctor’s murder. The case was then probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The Kolkata Police and hospital administration were also criticised for their handling of the trainee doctor’s case, with the Supreme Court highlighting the 14-hour delay in filing of the FIR.