Mamata Banerjee seeks death penalty for RG Kar convict, to challenge verdict in High Court
Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday expressed disappointment that Sanjay Roy, the civic volunteer convicted of raping and murdering a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, did not get the death penalty and said her government will approach the High Court.
The court, which said it doesn't find the case "rarest of rare", has sentenced Sanjoy Roy to life imprisonment and directed the State to pay the victim's family Rs. 17 lakh as compensation.
The court had said it would award Sanjoy either capital punishment or life imprisonment.
"In the R.G. Kar junior doctor's rape and murder case, I am really shocked to see that the judgement of the Court today finds that it is not a Rarest of Rare case! I am convinced that it is indeed a rarest of rare case which demands capital punishment. How could the judgement come to the conclusion that it is not a rarest of rare case," Banerjee said.
"I strongly feel that it is a heinous crime that warrants capital punishment. We will plead for capital punishment of the convict at the High Court now," she said.
As per the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chargesheet, Sanjoy was the only man who has been accused of the crime that had sent shockwaves across the country and sparked sweeping protests in Kolkata, its neighbouring districts and some major Indian cities.
Though Sanjoy was arrested swiftly by the Kolkata Police after the incident occurred, the junior doctors and protesters suspected more people's involvement in the crime which occurred on the intervening night of August 8 and 9, 2024.
On the basis of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the Calcutta High Court transferred the case to CBI fuming over the police and administration's handling of the case.
Thousands of people took to the streets almost on a regular basis in Kolkata and its neighbourhoods, taking out night vigils, candlelight marches, and forming symbolic human chains on roads demanding justice for the victim, which was allegedly raped and murdered at the seminar room where she went to rest after completing her shift.
The case also led to the unravelling of the corruption charges against erstwhile RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh levelled by the students.
Ghosh's posting to an equally important post at some other college by the government following protests against him over the rape-murder case had stirred row.
Later, Ghosh was arrested in the corruption as well as the rape-murder case. Though he was granted bail in the rape-murder case, the former principal is still in jail over the corruption.
Prior to CBI's investigation, the state administration came under the scanner over its alleged cover-up, delay in filing FIRs, demolition work near the crime scene, and assigning Ghosh to the same post at another college after he resigned from RG Kar.
Tala Police Station OC, who was also arrested, has been granted bail.
The junior doctors went on ceasework in multiple phases and continued their protests until they met with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on several occasions for a resolution.
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