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The victim’s family and several political leaders were dissatisfied when a Kolkata court gave life imprisonment to Sanjay Roy for raping and murdering a trainee doctor in RG Kar Hospital last year.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said she was not satisfied with the RG Kar Hospital Rape-Murder Verdict awarding life in prison to Sanjay Roy. (PTI file photo)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the state would appeal to the High Court to seek capital punishment for Sanjay Roy – the accused in the RG Kar Hospital Rape-Murder Case – who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Sealdah court today.
This came after the parents of the deceased 31-year-old medic and several political leaders, including Mamata Banerjee herself, expressed dissatisfaction by the Sealdah court’s verdict, where it denied the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) request for the death penalty to Roy and awarded him with life imprisonment, observing that it was not “rarest of the rare” case.
Taking to X, Banerjee said, “In the RG Kar junior doctor’s rape and murder case, I am really shocked to see that the judgement of the Court today finds that it is not a Rarest of Rare case!”
In the R.G. Kar junior doctor’s rape and murder case, I am really shocked to see that the judgement of the Court today finds that it is not a Rarest of Rare case!I am convinced that it is indeed a rarest of rare case which demands capital punishment. How could the judgement…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 20, 2025
“I am convinced that it is indeed a rarest of rare case which demands capital punishment. How could the judgement come to the conclusion that it is not a rarest of rare case?! We want and insist upon death penalty in this most sinister and sensitive case,” she added.
Mamata Banerjee said capital punishment had been granted to convicts in such crimes over the last 3-4 months and questioned the exception in this case, which shook the medical fraternity and sparked widespread protests. “I strongly feel that it is a heinous crime that warrants capital punishment. We will plead for capital punishment of the convict at the High Court now,” she added.
What Did The Court Say?
The court sentenced Roy to life imprisonment for raping and murdering a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August last year and asked him to pay Rs 50,000 fine. Judge Anirban Das also directed the state of West Bengal to pay Rs 17 lakh to the victim’s family as compensation, which they denied.
As the order was pronounced, the court told Roy that he was guilty in the case and that the CBI had advocated for a death penalty for him. However, the court mentioned that this was not the “rarest of rare cases”, as argued by the probe agency.
“No death penalty, only life imprisonment, because death took place that’s why life imprisonment. Rs 10 lakh he has to give to the victim’s family,” the judge further said. However, the trainee doctor’s father, who was also present in the court at the time of the order, refused to accept Rs 10 lakh from the accused and said he only wanted justice.
The judge later said that the primary responsibility of the judiciary is to uphold the rule of law and ensure justice based on evidence, not public sentiment. “It is of prime importance that the court maintain its objectivity and partiality by focusing solely on the facts and evidence presented during the trial, rather than being swayed by public opinion or emotional reactions to the case,” Das said.
“In the realm of modern justice, we must rise above the primitive instinct of “an eye for an eye” or “a tooth for a tooth” or “nail for a nail” or “a life for a life”. Our duty is not to match brutality with brutality, but to elevate humanity through wisdom, compassion and a deeper understanding of justice,” he added.
Politicians Express Dissatisfaction With Verdict
The verdict received mixed reactions from the public, with political leaders calling it a “travesty of justice“. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded appeal in the case and accused the West Bengal government of destroying evidence and weakening the case.
“Life imprisonment and a 50,000-rupee fine for Sanjoy Roy, accused in the RG Kar rape and murder case, is a travesty of justice. The verdict must be appealed. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee must stop shielding the criminal,” said BJP IT Cell In-Charge Amit Malviya, calling for a probe in the role of Kolkata Commissioner and CM’s role in destruction of evidence.
CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat also expressed dismay with the verdict. “Kerala court gave death sentence to a girl because the girl was proven to have poisoned her boyfriend… It shows the failure of our laws to bring justice in cases of crimes against women, particularly rape and murder because there are such different standards which are being applied,” she said.