Life Imprisonment or Death Penalty? Possible Punishment For RG Kar Rape Convict Sanjoy Roy

Kolkata: The Sealdah Civil and Criminal Court found accused Sanjoy Roy guilty of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Justice Anirban Das pronounced the verdict. "There is a complaint against the accused that he went to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and went to the seminar room, assaulted and murdered the lady doctor taking rest there," the Court said.  

The quantum of punishment will be pronounced by the Court on Monday. 

Punishment Roy May Get After Being Found Guilty

Sessions Judge Anirban Das clarified that the minimum possible sentence would be life imprisonment while the maximum sentence would be the death penalty. The court said that Sections 64, 66, and 103/1 of BNS have been framed against the accused. 

• Section 64(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) states, "Whoever commits rape, shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than 10 years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine."
• Section 66 adds, "Whoever commits an offence punishable under section 64 (rape) and in the course of such commission inflicts an injury which causes the death of the woman or causes the woman to be in a persistent vegetative state, shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than twenty years, but which 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) of the BNS reads, "Whoever commits murder shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine."

After reviewing all the evidence and testimonies and considering the arguments, the judge stated, "I have examined all the evidence and witnesses, also heard the arguments. After getting through all of these, I have found you guilty. You are guilty. You must be punished."  

'I Have Been Falsely Implicated', Roy to Court

Accused Sanjay Roy appealed to the Judge that he has been falsely implicated in the case. "I have not done this. Those who have done this are being let go. I have been falsely implicated," he told the Court.

"I always wear a chain of rudraksh on my neck. If I commited the crime my chain would have been broken in place of occurrence. I can't commit this crime," accused Roy added.

However, Justice Das said that the accused will be next heard on Monday.

"You will be heard on Monday. Now, I am sending you to judicial custody. Your punishment will be announced on Monday. I have fixed the time at 12:30 to hear. Then will announce the punishment," he said.

RG Kar Rape and Murder Case

The case, which involves the rape and murder of a trainee doctor whose body was found on August 9 in the hospital's seminar room, sparked widespread protests. After the incident, Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer at the hospital, was arrested in connection with the crime.