Kolkata: A Kolkata court will Monday pronounce the quantum of punishment of Sanjay Roy, convicted of raping and murdering an on-duty doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital here.
The charges under which Roy has been convicted entail a minimum sentence of life imprisonment, while the maximum can be capital punishment.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das, Sealdah court, had Saturday declared Roy guilty of rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee at the hospital August 9 last year.
The gruesome crime had led to nationwide outrage and prolonged protests.
Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was arrested August 10, 2024, a day after the 31-year-old medic’s body was found in the seminar room of the hospital.
Found guilty of sexually assaulting the doctor and throttling her to death, Roy was convicted Saturday by the judge under Sections 64, 66 and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
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 persistent vegetative state of victim) provides for 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 with death.
Section 103(1) (murder) of BNS provides for death penalty or imprisonment for life to a person convicted of the crime.
The judge said the over 160-page judgement, which will be completed after the pronouncement of the sentence Monday, will also categorically answer some questions raised by the complainant, the father of the victim.
Das said that he has, in the judgement, criticised some activities of the police authority as well as the hospital authority.
The investigation into the case was transferred from the Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Calcutta High Court.
The judge said that Roy’s statement will be heard at 12:30 pm Monday, and the sentence will be pronounced thereafter.
At the time of delivery of the verdict Monday, Roy claimed in court that he had been framed.
The parents of the deceased doctor have expressed gratitude to the court for delivering justice.
PTI
