Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], January 20 : The Sealdah Civil and Criminal Court will deliver its verdict on the punishment for Sanjay Roy, convicted in the RG Kar rape and murder case, at 2:45 pm today.
During the hearing, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) requested the death penalty for the accused. The court informed Roy about the charges against him, which had been proven during the trial. However, Roy continued to claim his innocence, insisting that he was being falsely implicated and had been coerced into signing documents.
Roy’s defense lawyer argued that even in “rarest of rare” cases, there should be room for reformation. He urged the court to show why Roy was beyond rehabilitation. In contrast, the victim’s family lawyer called for the maximum punishment, advocating for a death sentence.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed the state’s commitment to the investigation and said her government had fully cooperated with authorities. She emphasized that the government always sought justice for the victim, though she acknowledged the judiciary needed time to proceed with the case.
Earlier, the victim’s father demanded the harshest punishment for Roy and suggested that other individuals might also be involved in the crime. He expressed his frustration over the delay but reaffirmed his demand for a severe sentence.
On Saturday, the Sealdah Court had found Roy guilty in the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The court noted that the accused had entered the hospital’s seminar room, where he assaulted and murdered the doctor. Roy, a civic volunteer at the hospital, was arrested shortly after the incident. The case, which involved the rape and murder of the doctor, triggered widespread protests.