RG Kar Rape Case: Why court did not give death penalty to accused Sanjay Roy?

New Delhi: The Kolkata court announced verdict in the rape case that shook the entire nation. The accused was given life imprisonment by Sealdah court. However, the central bureau of investigation called it 'rarest of rare case' and demanded a death sentence.

While announcing the judgement, the judge said it was not 'rarest of rare crimes'. The accused Sanjay Roy raped and killed 31 year old trainee in the RG Kar Medical Hospital on August 9th last year. The incident triggered massive outrage and protests across the nation.

The victim doctor was found dead inside the seminar room of the hospital. The autopsy confirmed that the doctor was raped before killing. The accused Sanjay Roy was arrested on August 10th. The accused Sanjay Roy was found guilty under section 64 (Rape) Section 66 (causing injury resulting in death of victim) and section 103 (murder).

What court said? 

While convicting the accused, the judge told him that the minimum punishment he can get is life imprisonment and the maximum punishment will be a death sentence. The victim's family, CBI and others demanded death penalty for the accused.

However, the accused's lawyer argued in the court that 'Even if it is a rarest of rare case, there should be scope for reformation. The court must show why the convict is not worth reformation or rehabilitation... The public prosecutor has to present evidence and give reasons why the person is not worth reformation and should be completely eliminated from society,

Accused Sanjay Roy claims innocence

The CBI lawyer had demanded death penalty for the accused calling it the rarest of rare case.However, the accused Sanjay Roy claimed his innocence and said 'I have 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,” said Roy in court.