 "RG Kar rape-murder case: Why convict Sanjay Roy got life instead of death penalty")
Sanjay Roy, convicted of the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last August, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Kolkata on Monday (January 20). The Sealdah court also ordered Roy to pay a fine of Rs 50,000, while the West Bengal government was directed to pay a compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the victim’s parents.
The verdict has, however, disappointed those who were hoping for the death penalty for the convict. The parents of the victim and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were among those who expressed dismay.
While the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) called for a death sentence, the Sealdah court did not award capital punishment to Roy. But why?
We will explain.
RG Kar rape-murder case
On August 9, 2024, a 31-year-old junior doctor was raped and killed at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Her semi-naked body was found on the third floor of the seminar hall of the hospital.
The Kolkata Police arrested Sanjay Roy , a civic volunteer with the police who frequented the hospital, for the crime.
Later, on the Calcutta High Court’s direction, the RG Kar rape and murder case was transferred to the CBI.
The horrific incident sparked nationwide outrage, with junior doctors in West Bengal holding monthslong protests demanding justice for the victim and stronger security measures in government hospitals.
Last Saturday, Roy was found guilty of both rape and murder of the on-duty medic. He was convicted under Sections 64 (rape), 66 (punishment for causing death), and 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Sanjay Roy gets life term
The Sealdah court, presided by Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das, pronounced the verdict in the RG Kar rape and murder case today, awarding a life sentence to Roy.
The CBI, which investigated the case, had demanded the death penalty for the convict, with counsel representing the central agency arguing it was a “rarest of rare cases”, as per NDTV.
“This is a case which comes under the rarest of rare category. The maximum punishment, which is the death penalty, should be awarded to Roy to maintain people’s faith in society," the CBI told the court.
“The doctor was there at a government hospital to help patients. This falls into the rarest of rare category,” the prosecution said. “She was a meritorious student. In her death, it is a loss for society.”
The lawyer representing the victim’s parents also called for the harshest punishment for the convict, saying that as a civic volunteer, he was responsible for ensuring the hospital’s security.
“He had himself committed the heinous crime on the victim he was supposed to protect,” the parents’ lawyer reportedly said.
Earlier in the day, Roy denied the charges against him and maintained innocence. “I haven’t done this. I have been framed. Lots of things were destroyed, but if I had done it then my rudraksha mala would have broken. You decide whether I have been framed or not,” he told the court.
The judge responded: “I decide on the basis of the evidence before me. I have heard you as well for three hours. Your lawyer has argued your case. The charges have been proven. Now I want to know your views on the punishment.”
Roy’s defence argued that the prosecution had not established that the convict was beyond reform. “We pray for any punishment other than the death penalty,” the defence lawyer said.
While announcing the verdict, the judge said it did not fall under the rarest of the rare category and awarded a life term in prison to Roy.
#rgkarmedicalcollege | High drama in Court after life term for Sanjay Roy in #RGKarCase@KamalikaSengupt shares exclusive ground report@kritsween | #RGKar #rgkarverdict pic.twitter.com/rxBo9bEvIh
— News18 (@CNNnews18) January 20, 2025
Additional district and sessions judge Das also directed the Banerjee-led government to compensate the victim’s family.
As the victim’s father turned down any compensation, the judge, as per Indian Express, said, “I don’t think money can compensate any death. It was the liability of [the] state to protect your daughter as she was on duty (when she was raped and murdered). This is a statutory provision. If you take it, you can use it… I gave whatever I felt. You can move to the higher court.”
What’s rarest of rare case?
The term ‘rarest of rare’ case was coined by the Supreme Court in 1980 in Bachan Singh vs the State of Punjab case. The apex court determined that the death penalty must be imposed for the gravest crimes when it is the rarest of the rare.
The criteria for establishing this involves the culprit’s background, mental state, and potential for reform and if the crime shakes the collective conscience of society, reported News18.
The crime must be heinous warranting public abhorrence and for which alternative punishment is not viable.
Reactions to the verdict
The court’s verdict in the RG Kar case has been met with disgruntlement.
The parents of the deceased medic told PTI, “We are shocked. How is this not the rarest of rare cases? An on-duty doctor was raped and murdered. We are dismayed. There was a larger conspiracy behind this crime.”
West Bengal CM Banerjee also expressed dissatisfaction with the local court’s ruling.
Speaking to the media in the Murshidabad district, she said, “All of us had demanded a death sentence, but the court has given a life term until death. The case was forcibly taken from us. Had it been with the (Kolkata) police, we would have ensured that he was served a death sentence.”
Reacting to the verdict, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar called for a deeper probe.
“We wanted the highest punishment (for the convict Sanjay Roy). Being an elected representative, I can’t say anything against the court verdict. The public of West Bengal does not believe that only one person is involved in the RG Kar rape-murder case. I think there should be more depth in this, as Sanjay is saying that there were also police and other people involved,” the BJP leader was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the people of Bengal are disappointed as they expected the “strictest punishment for the accused”.
“We saw that only one accused was punished, so this decision of the court is not as per the expectations of the common people,” he said.
With inputs from agencies
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