RG Kar doctor's rape and murder case: Politics erupt over life imprisonment verdict for Sanjay Roy

Sanjay Roy, guilty of raping and killing a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, was awarded life imprisonment by a Kolkata court on Monday. The court said he wasn't awarded a death penalty as the case was not in the 'rarest of the rare' category.

Also Read: 'Kolkata police would've ensured death penalty': Mamata Banerjee slams CBI for RG Kar verdict (WATCH)

The court also directed the West Bengal government to pay a compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the victim's parents, who said they do not want compensation, but justice. The judge replied that he has ordered the compensation as per law and they are free to use the money however they want.

Following the verdict, many politicians expressed their opinion. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she's not content on the verdict and said, "We had demanded capital punishment for the accused. We have ensured the death penalty in cases where the state conducted the trial. The case was taken away from us and given to CBI."

BJP IT cell convenor Amit Malviya said that life imprisonment and Rs 50,000 fine is a travesty of justice. "Life imprisonment and a 50,000-rupee fine for Sanjoy Roy, accused in the RG Kar rape and murder case, is a travesty of justice. The verdict must be appealed. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee must stop shielding the criminal. Agencies also need to investigate the role of the then Kolkata Commissioner and the Chief Minister in the destruction of evidence.

Justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done," he wrote in a post on X

Former NCW chief and Rajya Sabha MP Rekha Sharma said the verdict was very unfortunate and the shortcomings of the investigation have led to this.

"It is very unfortunate. I think the investigations done by Kolkata Police were presented in front of the CBI and because of the the shortcomings in the investigation, the convict was sentenced to life imprisonment and not death penalty. The victim's family and all of us are really sad. It is the insensitivity of the judges that such a huge case was not called rarest of the rare cases..."

BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya said the judgement is the manifestation of the mood of the people of the country and of West Bengal. He added that the people believed Sanjay Roy is not the only one involved.

"The judgement is the manifestation of the mood of the people of the country and of West Bengal. Even now, the entire people believe that Sanjay Roy was not the only one involved in this case; those who sent Sanjay Roy there, those who altered the place of occurrence....what about the punishment to such people?...", he said.

CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat was quick to compare the verdicts pronounced by a Kerala court regarding a woman poisoning and killing her lover and the RG Kar case verdict. The Kerala court sentenced the 24-year-old convict to death earlier today. Brinda Karat said it shows the failure of our laws to bring justice in cases of crimes against women, particularly rape and murder because there are such different standards which are being applied. 

"... Kerala court gave death sentence to a girl because the girl was proven to have poisoned her boyfriend... It shows the failure of our laws to bring justice in cases of crimes against women, particularly rape and murder because there are such different standards which are being applied. The other aspect is that there has been a destruction of evidence... Who along with Sanjay Roy is guilty?... Which is the nexus? How is it that the state government is defended?... In the RG Kar case, at every phase and stage, we are seeing injustice. The main accountability must be with the state government and the way that it has tried to conceal the facts of this case...," she said.

Meanwhile, Sanjay Roy defended himself and said he has been framed without any reason. 

"I told you before that I always wear a Rudraksha chain. If I had committed the crime, it would have broken at the crime scene. I was not allowed to speak. They forced me to sign many papers. I was not given a chance to speak. You have seen all of this, sir. I told you before as well,” he added.

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