R.G. Kar Hospital Murder Case Controversy Over Life Sentence: Death Penalty Call

Sanjay Roy, the prime accused in the R.G. Kar hospital rape and murder, was given life imprisonment on January 20, 2025, in a high-profile case that has gripped Kolkata and beyond. The verdict caused much controversy, as many, including the victim's family and doctors, had demanded the death penalty for the brutal crime.

A second-year post-graduate doctor was murdered at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, 2024, shocked the nation. Despite public anger and calls for justice, Justice Anirban Das of the Kolkata sessions court ruled that the case did not meet the threshold for being classified as the “rarest of the rare,” a standard necessary for a death sentence in India. The judge emphasized the importance of upholding human dignity and compassion, stating that the judiciary’s role was to focus on justice based on evidence, not public sentiment.

Public Outrage and Political Reactions

The court’s decision was met with disappointment, particularly among doctors in West Bengal, who have been protesting since the incident. Koel Mitra, an associate professor at Medical College Kolkata, expressed shock, emphasizing that Roy’s role as a former police volunteer made the crime all the more heinous. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also voiced her shock, advocating for the death penalty and moving the case to the High Court for further review.

Allegations of Evidence Tampering

In the middle of all this, there are accusations of evidence tampering, with doctors and the victim's family questioning the integrity of the probe. The victim's father demanded further investigation, believing that there were others behind the crime. Even as the public at large demands capital punishment, the government has come under flak for mismanaging the case into a mess by delaying the lodging of an FIR and tinkering with evidence by local authorities.

While the State government is pushing for harsher penalties, the protests and public dissatisfaction reflect a growing mistrust in the handling of the case, raising questions about accountability and justice in high-profile cases like this.