RG Kar case: Roy claims he was framed; 'rarest of rare' says CBI seeking death penalty

Sanjay Roy, convicted of rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Monday (January 20) claimed in court that he was innocent and had been wrongly held guilty.

The court will now assemble at 2.45 pm to announce the sentence.

Roy was on Saturday held guilty of sexually assaulting the doctor and throttling her to death in August last year.

"I am being framed, and have not committed any crime. I have not done anything and still, I have been held guilty," Roy told the court ahead of sentencing in the case. Further, he said, "I haven't done this. Lots of things were destroyed, but if I had done it then my rudraksha mala would have broken. You decide whether I have been framed or not."

The judge replied that he has to deliver justice. "I decide on the basis of the evidence before me. I have heard you as well for three hours. Your lawyer has argued your case. The charges has been proved. Now I want to know your views on the punishment," he said.

Conviction

Judge Anirban Das the Additional District and Sessions Court had convicted Roy on Saturday and said he would hear him out before delivering the verdict today. He has said the minimum sentence Roy would receive life imprisonment and the maximum could be the death penalty.

The judge had convicted him under Sections 64, 66, and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Highest penalty

During the proceedings, the CBI lawyer pleaded for the highest penalty for the convict, who worked as a civic volunteer and frequented the hospital.

The CBI counsel and the victim's parents have said this was a "rarest of rare cases" and said Roy must be sentenced to death. Roy's lawyer cited Supreme Court guidelines on awarding death penalty. The judge then asked the counsel to list down the guidelines so that he could take a look at it.

"We pray for the highest penalty to maintain people's faith in society," the agency's counsel told the court.

Police security is very high at the court premises in Sealdah as police want to prevent any untoward incident after the sentencing.

The medical fraternity, including doctors and others have gathered in large number near the court. The protesters are alleging that Roy alone could not have committed the crime and that the others involved should not escape justice.

More than one perpetrator

The victim's parents have expressed their unhappiness with the CBI's investigation.

They have alleged that "other perpetrators involved in the crime had not been brought to justice".

According to the victim's mother there was more than one person involved in the crime and yet the CBI has failed to apprehend the others. "Such criminals have no right to live if we are to prevent future crimes in society,” she has said.

The 34-year-old doctor, a post-graduate trainee at the RG Kar hospital, was on night shift on the day of incident.

The next morning, she was found dead in a seminar room of the hospital. The incident sparked nationwide protests, with doctors suspending work for days to demand safety at work.

(With inputs from agencies)