NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday demanded capital punishment for Sanjay Roy who was convicted of the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
This comes as a Kolkata court is set to pronounce quantum of punishment for the civic volunteer after he was found guilty by additional district and sessions judge Anirban Das on Saturday.
Roy was arrested the day after the doctor’s body was discovered in a hospital seminar room. The court convicted him under sections 64, 66, and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which carry sentences ranging from life imprisonment to the death penalty.
The prosecution, led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), relied on forensic evidence, including DNA, toxicology reports, and CCTV footage, which linked Roy to the crime. Despite his claims of being framed, Roy’s involvement was established through biological evidence, physical injuries to the victim, and traces of his personal belongings at the crime scene.
The CBI’s investigation, which included testimony from over 120 witnesses, concluded that the victim died from strangulation and smothering. The case, described by the CBI as “rarest of the rare,” has garnered widespread attention, with the victim’s parents expressing their gratitude for the justice delivered.
The incident on August 9 involved the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. It led to the arrest of a Kolkata Police civic volunteer and sparked widespread protests by doctors and citizens.
