Kolkata:A Kolkata city court on Saturday convicted Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer of the Kolkata Police, for the rape and murder of an on-duty female doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in the early hours of August 9.
First Additional District Judge Anirban Das of the Sealdah Court pronounced Roy guilty and announced that the quantum of punishment — either the death penalty or life imprisonment — would be delivered at 12.30 pm on January 20. In court, Roy protested his conviction, claiming he was “implicated” and citing his poverty and religious beliefs.
The judge, however, pointed to findings by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and statements from witnesses as the basis for Roy’s conviction. “You deserve punishment,” he told Roy, adding that the convict and his lawyer would be heard on January 20 before sentencing. The CBI, which took over the investigation after an initial probe by the Kolkata Police, has sought the “maximum possible” punishment.
The victim’s parents, present during the proceedings, expressed gratitude to the judge, saying, “You have honoured our faith in you.” Roy’s family was absent, but his elder sister, an assistant sub-inspector in the Kolkata Police who had earlier disowned him following his arrest, indicated the family would not challenge the verdict.
Despite the conviction, junior doctors staged a protest rally outside the court, insisting Roy was not the sole perpetrator. Union minister and state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar echoed their sentiment, alleging that evidence may have been tampered with in the five days before the CBI took over the investigation.
Meanwhile, the Trinamul Congress welcomed the court’s verdict. Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “This judgment proves that the investigation and actions taken by the Kolkata Police were correct. Some had demanded a CBI probe earlier, but it now validates the Kolkata Police’s initial findings.”
