Kolkata: The Sealdah court in Kolkata on Monday sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment for raping and murdering a trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. 

Judge Anirban Das said the crime did not fall under the "rarest of the rare" category as justification for not giving the death penalty to the convict. Additionally, the court also directed the state to pay a compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the family of the deceased doctor.

The sentence was passed after the judge heard the final statements of the convict and his counsels placed in self-defence as well as those of the victim’s family and the CBI. The court on Saturday had pronounced Sanjay Roy guilty. Judge Das announced the verdict in front of the accused, and the victim's parents also attended the court.

The court determined the accused guilty based on the forensic reports, which confirmed his involvement by identifying his DNA at the crime scene and on the deceased doctor. Sessions judge Anirban Das noted that the maximum sentence for Roy could be the death penalty, with the minimum being life imprisonment.

The court was deliberating on the fate of Roy, the main accused in the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident, which occurred in August 2024, sparked national outrage, prompting the High Court to transfer the case to the CBI, which filed its chargesheet in the sessions court. The Supreme Court also intervened suo moto to establish guidelines for the workplace safety of doctors and to oversee the investigation.

Ahead of the verdict, the victim's parents had on Friday alleged that the investigation is half-done as others involved in the crime are roaming free. Her parents said they will continue to fight until justice is delivered to their daughter.

Various cases were filed before the Calcutta High Court, which also assigned the CBI the investigation into former principal Sandip Ghosh's alleged malfeasance and corruption. Cases were also filed against the Officer-in-charge of the jurisdictional police station, who had registered the case as one of 'unnatural death', pointing to the fact that the victim may have committed suicide in alleged connivance with the former principal.

However, since the CBI was unable to file a chargesheet in a timely manner against the principal and OC, they were granted bail. Thus, the only remaining accused in the case, against whom the chargesheet had been filed by the CBI, is the principal accused, Sanjoy Roy.
(With inputs from LiveLaw)

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