Indian Police Volunteer Sentenced to Life for Rape and Murder of Junior Doctor
The tragic killing of the 31-year-old medic at a Kolkata hospital highlights the ongoing problem of violence against women in India.
A court in India has sentenced a police volunteer to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a junior doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata. The case, which drew widespread attention, sheds light on the persistent issue of violence against women in the country.
On Monday, Judge Anirban Das ruled that Sanjay Roy, the 33-year-old convicted, would spend the rest of his life in prison. Roy had been accused of strangling and sexually assaulting the 31-year-old trainee doctor at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, where she worked. The victim's bloodied body was discovered in a hospital classroom on August 9. An autopsy confirmed she had been both strangled and raped.
The convicted man has consistently denied the charges, claiming he was falsely implicated. He retains the right to appeal the verdict in a higher court.
The victim's parents expressed their deep shock and disappointment with the verdict, as they had hoped for the death penalty for their daughter's murderer. Speaking outside the courtroom, the father of the victim, visibly emotional, vowed to continue seeking justice. "We are shocked by the verdict. We will continue our fight and won’t let investigations stop... Come what may, we will fight for justice," he said.
As per Indian law, family members of the victim cannot be named in media reports.
The police, who led the investigation into the crime, had argued that the case met the criteria for the "rarest of rare" crimes, which could warrant the death penalty. Several members of the ruling Trinamool Congress party had also called for the death penalty. Roy was arrested the day after the crime, and court proceedings commenced in November.
The tragic incident led to widespread protests across India, with doctors and medical students rallying for better security measures at government hospitals. Thousands of women also took to the streets, demanding faster trials and reforms to India’s slow judicial system. In response to the crime, the Indian Supreme Court formed a national task force to explore ways to improve safety in public hospitals.
While India maintains the death penalty, it is rarely implemented. The last executions were in March 2020, when four men were executed for the brutal 2012 gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi.
The killing of the doctor has drawn parallels to the 2012 incident, prompting calls from medical professionals for enhanced security at government health facilities. Activists, however, argue that despite stricter sentencing, rape cases continue to rise. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 31,516 rapes were reported in 2022, marking a 20 percent increase from the previous year.