Kolkata’s Sealdah court on Saturday found community volunteer Sanjay Roy guilty of raping and murdering a 31-year-old doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The case led to nationwide outrage and prolonged protests by hundreds of people.
Sanjay Roy has been charged under Section 64 (rape), Section 66 (punishment for causing death), and Section 103 (murder). However, the amount of the penalty will be announced on Monday (January 20).
The maximum penalty for rape under Section 64 is imprisonment, while the minimum penalty is 10 years.
Section 66, which deals with the punishment for causing death during rape, provides for a minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum sentence of death.
Section 103, which defines the penalty for murder, allows for life imprisonment or the death penalty.
“I have examined all the evidence and witnesses, and listened to the speeches. After finishing all this, I found you guilty. You are guilty. You must be punished,” said the judge.
The parents of the deceased who were present in the court, broke down after listening to the decision.
KOLKATA rape case
The body of a female graduate student was found in the teaching hall of the hospital on the morning of August 9, 2024. It is suspected that she was killed after being raped. A community volunteer, Sanjay Roy, was arrested the next day in connection with the case. Police identified him through a Bluetooth earphone found near the deceased’s body. Roy was seen on CCTV footage entering the seminar hall with a phone around his neck.
It is worth noting that the Assistant Superintendent was among the people questioned by the Kolkata Police regarding the incident of the doctor’s murder. The case was then investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Kolkata police and hospital authorities have also come under fire for their handling of the trainee doctor’s case, with the Supreme Court citing a 14-hour delay in lodging the FIR.