Mamata Banerjee Seeks Death Penalty For RG Kar Convict, To Go To High Court

Expressing her disappointment that Sanjay Roy, the man convicted of raping and murdering a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, did not get the death penalty, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said her government will approach the High Court. 

Immediately after a Kolkata court sentenced Roy to life imprisonment till death on Monday, the Trinamool Congress chief - whose government came under fire for its alleged "mishandling" of the case and faced widespread protests, including from junior doctors - said the Kolkata Police would have ensured death penalty for him, but the investigation was taken away from the force and handed over to the CBI.

"We demanded death penalty from Day 1. We demand it now too. But it's the court's order. I can share my party's opinion... we ensured death penalty in three cases within 60 days. If the case stayed with us, we would have ensured death penalty long back. I am not satisfied... Had it been the death penalty, at least my heart would have been somewhat at peace," Ms Banerjee said.

In a post on X in the evening, Ms Banerjee expressed "shock" that the judgment held that the rape and murder did not fall in the category of "rarest of rare cases". Asserting that the case warrants capital punishment, she said her government would "plead" for it at the High Court. 

"I am convinced that it is indeed a rarest of rare case which demands capital punishment. How could the judgement come to the conclusion that it is not a rarest of rare case?!  We want and insist upon death penalty in this most sinister and sensitive case. Recently, in last 3/4 months, we have been able to ensure capital/ maximum punishment for convicts in such crimes. Then, why, in this case, has capital punishment not been awarded? (sic)," she wrote.

In the R.G. Kar junior doctor's rape and murder case, I am really shocked to see that the judgement of the Court today finds that it is not a Rarest of Rare case!

I am convinced that it is indeed a rarest of rare case which demands capital punishment. How could the judgement…

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 20, 2025

"I strongly feel that it is a heinous crime that warrants capital punishment. We will plead for capital punishment of the convict at the High Court now," the chief minister added.

Delivering his judgment, Anirban Das, the Additional District and Sessions Judge of the Sealdah court, "The CBI prayed for the death penalty. The defence lawyer prayed that a jail term be given instead of the death penalty... This crime does not fall under the rarest of the rare category. I am sentencing you (Roy) to life imprisonment, meaning till the last day of your life, for causing injury during the act of committing rape on the victim that led to her death."

"Dismayed"

The parents of the trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered in a seminar hall at the RG Kar Hospital in August last year, reiterated that there were other people involved in the crime who had not been caught. They also expressed "dismay" that Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, did not get the death penalty.

"We are shocked. How is this not the rarest of rare cases? An on-duty doctor was raped and murdered. We are dismayed. There was a larger conspiracy behind this crime," the doctor's mother told news agency PTI.

Doctors who had protested seeking justice for the victim and heightened security at hospitals also said there were other culprits who had escaped punishment. 

Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) India, one of the organisations that had been at the forefront of the protests, wrote on X, "You can get away with a brutal #Rape &Murder with just #Lifeimprisonment in India. What a shame! Highly disappointed. This is not over, yet."