
A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in West Bengal's Kolkata pronounced a life imprisonment sentence today, January 20, for Sanjay Roy, who has been convicted of raping and murdering a 31-year-old duty doctor inside the West Bengal government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Amid high security, Roy was taken to the court from jail around 10.30 am today, Monday, January 20. The Sealdah court was fortified, with nearly 500 policemen being deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
Protesting against the punishment given to Roy outside the court, the junior doctors said imprisonment was not enough. “We wanted a strict and exemplary punishment.. We will move to higher courts seeking a more strict judgement,” a protesting doctor said, reported by Hindustan Times.
Reacting to the situation, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused to comment on the quantum of sentence expected for the accused. “I had earlier demanded the death penalty, but it depends on the judge and how the case has been framed,” she said.
Sanjay Roy and charges
- Sanjay Roy was found guilty of sexually assaulting the doctor and throttling her to death. He was convicted by the judge under Sections 64, 66 and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
- The charges under which Roy has been convicted entail a minimum sentence of life imprisonment, while the maximum can be capital punishment.
- Section 64 (rape) of the BNS entails a punishment of not less than 10 years and can go up to life term.
- Section 66 (punishment for causing death or resulting in a persistent vegetative state of the victim) provides for a punishment of not less than 20 years that may extend to imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person's natural life or till death.
- Section 103(1) (murder) of the BNS provides for the death penalty or imprisonment for life for a person convicted of the crime.