Indian police volunteer sentenced to life in prison in rape and murder of trainee doctor
An Indian court awarded a life sentence to a police volunteer convicted of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at a hospital in Kolkata.
KOLKATA, India — An Indian court awarded a life sentence on Monday to a police volunteer convicted of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the hospital where she worked in the eastern city of Kolkata, rejecting demands for the death penalty saying it was not a rare crime.
The woman’s body was found in a classroom at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on Aug. 9. Other doctors stayed off work for weeks to demand justice for her and better security at public hospitals, as the crime drew national outrage over a lack of safety for women.
Sanjay Roy, the police volunteer, was convicted on Saturday by Judge Anirban Das, who said circumstantial evidence had proved the charges against Roy.
Roy said he was innocent and that he had been framed, and sought clemency.
The federal police, who investigated the case, said the crime belonged to the “rarest-of-rare” category and that Roy, therefore, deserved the death penalty.
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