Calcutta/New Delhi:
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed her disappointment that Sanjay Roy, the man convicted of raping and murdering a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, has not been given the death penalty and has said that her government will approach the Supreme Court.
Immediately after a court in Kolkata sentenced Roy to life imprisonment to death on Monday, the Trinamool Congress chief — whose government came under fire for its alleged “mishandling” of the case and faced widespread protests, said including from young doctors – that the Kolkata police would have done that. secured the death penalty for him, but the investigation was taken out of the hands of the force and handed over to the CBI.
“We demanded the death penalty from day 1. We demand that now too. But it is an order from the court. I can share the view of my party… we have guaranteed the death penalty in three cases within 60 days. If the matter stayed with us, we would. I guaranteed the death penalty a long time ago. I'm not satisfied with it. If it had been capital punishment, at least my heart would have had some peace of mind,” Ms Banerjee said.
In a message on She claimed the case warrants the death penalty and said her government would “argue” for it in the Supreme Court.
“I am convinced that this is indeed a rare case where the death penalty is required. How can the verdict come to the conclusion that this is not a rare case?! We want and insist on the death penalty in this most sinister and sensitive situation. Recently, in the last three to four months, we have managed to ensure death penalty/maximum punishment for those convicted of such crimes. Why was no death penalty imposed in this case?
In the rape and murder case of RG Kar junior doctor, I am really shocked to see that today's judgment of the Court finds that it is not a rarest case!
I am convinced that it is indeed a very rare case where the death penalty is required. How can the judgment…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 20, 2025
“I strongly believe it is a heinous crime that warrants the death penalty. We will now plead for the death penalty of the convict in the Supreme Court,” the chief minister added.
In his ruling, Additional District and Sessions Judge of the Sealdah court, Anirban Das, said: “The CBI prayed for the death penalty. The defense attorney prayed that a prison sentence would be imposed instead of the death penalty… This crime is not covered by the law. under the rarest of the rare category, I sentence you (Roy) to life imprisonment, i.e. until the last day of your life, for causing injury during the rape of the victim leading to her death.
“Aghast”
The parents of the junior doctor, who was raped and murdered in a seminar hall of RG Kar Hospital in August last year, reiterated that there were other people involved in the crime who had not been caught. They also expressed their “dismay” that Roy, a former civilian volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was not given the death penalty.
“We are shocked. Why isn't this the rarest of rare cases? A doctor on duty was raped and murdered. We are appalled. There was a bigger conspiracy behind this crime,” the doctor's mother told news agency PTI.
Doctors who had protested seeking justice for the victim and increased security in hospitals also said there were other perpetrators who had escaped punishment.
Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) India, one of the organizations at the forefront of the protests, wrote on What a shame! Very disappointed. This isn't over yet.”