Doctors, along with members of the Citizen Forum, organized a silent rally from College Square to Shyambazar in Kolkata on the victim’s birthday to protest against the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case. Both junior and senior doctors participated in the demonstration.
Earlier, on January 20, the Sealdah Civil and Criminal Court sentenced the accused, Sanjay Roy, to life imprisonment in the case. The court also imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on him.
During the trial, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought the “capital punishment” for Sanjay Roy.
Explaining the implications of the charges, the court addressed Roy, stating, “I told you the previous day the charges you were convicted against and the charges that have been proven against you.”
However, when questioned about his conviction, Sanjay Roy maintained his innocence, claiming he was being falsely accused. “I have not done anything, neither rape nor murder. I am being falsely implicated. You have seen everything. I am innocent. I already told you that I was tortured. They made me sign whatever they wanted,” he stated.
The defense lawyer argued that even if the case fell under the “rarest of rare” category, there should still be an opportunity for reformation. “Even if it is a rarest of rare case, there should be scope for reformation. The court has to show why the convict is not worth reformation or rehabilitation… The public prosecutor has to present evidence and give reasons why the person is not worth reformation and should be completely eliminated from society,” the lawyer contended.
On the other hand, the victim’s family lawyer emphasized the need for the maximum punishment, saying, “I want the death sentence as maximum punishment…”
The victim’s father also demanded the harshest penalty for the accused and vowed to continue their fight both in the courts and on the streets. “On Saturday, the judge said that the harshest punishment would be given (to the accused). We have full faith in the judge. Our fight will continue in the courts and streets,” he told ANI.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her dissatisfaction with the court’s decision to sentence the convict to life imprisonment. She stated that if the case had been handled by Kolkata Police, they would have secured a death penalty.
“I learned about the sentencing from the media. We have always demanded capital punishment and we continue to stand by it. However, this is the court’s decision and I can’t say much about this. For three other cases, Kolkata Police ensured capital punishment through thorough investigations concluded within 54-60 days. This was a serious case. Had it been under our purview, we would have ensured the death penalty long back,” CM Mamata said while addressing the media in Malda.
