Mamata Banerjee Expresses Disappointment Over Life Imprisonment Sentence for RG Kar Case ConvictWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her dissatisfaction with the Sealdah court’s verdict in the RG Kar rape and murder case, where convict Sanjay Roy was sentenced to life imprisonment until death. Speaking to the media in Murshidabad on Monday, Banerjee voiced her discontent, stating, “I am not satisfied… We all demanded the death sentence, but the court has given life imprisonment.”

Banerjee further claimed that the investigation into the case was “forcibly” removed from the Kolkata Police, and had they been in charge, the outcome would have been different. “Had it been with the Kolkata Police, we would have ensured that a death sentence was imposed,” she asserted.

The Chief Minister raised questions about the CBI investigation, expressing doubts about its handling. “We don’t know how the probe was conducted. In many similar cases investigated by the state police, the death penalty was secured. I am not satisfied,” she added.

Sanjay Roy was convicted for the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 last year. His crime sparked widespread protests across the nation.

The Sealdah court, presided over by Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das, concluded that Roy’s actions did not meet the criteria for the “rarest of the rare” category, which would warrant the death penalty. Therefore, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The verdict, though legally sound, has left many, including the Chief Minister, questioning the adequacy of the punishment given the gravity of the crime.