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RG Kar verdict: What went inside court room where Sanjoy Roy was held guilty

Jan 18, 2025 10:45 PM IST

Sanjoy Roy, who was standing in the witness box on the right side of court room facing the judge, pleaded innocence and maintained that he was being framed.

Kolkata: A court in Kolkata pronounced Sanjoy Roy, the only accused in the August 9 rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, as guilty on Saturday. The quantum of sentence would be announced on Monday afternoon.

Police personnel and media persons wait outside Sealdah court ahead of RG Kar rape-murder case accused Sanjoy Roy's appearance, in Kolkata on Saturday. (ANI)
Police personnel and media persons wait outside Sealdah court ahead of RG Kar rape-murder case accused Sanjoy Roy's appearance, in Kolkata on Saturday. (ANI)

The maximum punishment for sections 64 (rape), 66 (inflicting injury leading to death or cause the woman to be a persistence vegetative state) and 103 (1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) under which Roy has been found guilty could be life imprisonment or death.

“You have been accused of attacking the victim in the RG Kar Hospital, throttled and strangulated her to death. You have sexually assaulted her. Charges have bene framed. After taking into account of witnesses and documents it has been proved. The court finds you guilty,” Justice Anirban Das, additional district and sessions judge said in a packed room.

Roy, who was standing in the witness box on the right side of court room facing the judge, however, pleaded innocence and maintained that he was being framed.

“I am innocent. I have a Rudraksh garland around my neck. Had I committed the crime it would have snapped that day. I am being framed. Others who were there have not been questioned,” said a visibly agitated Roy, as his counsel intervened to calm him down.

The court declined to hear Roy saying that he would be heard at 12.30pm on Monday before the quantum of sentence is read out around 2.30pm later that day. Roy, who wasn’t keen on stepping down from the witness box, had to be forcefully taken out by the police from the court room.

“The CBI and the advocates have been able to prove that you are guilty. You have to face the punishment. The quantum of punishment will be announced on Monday,” the judge said.

Roy, who was wearing an ash-coloured hoodie, was brought to the Sealdah court around 12.59pm amid tight security with hundreds of policemen forming multiple layers of barricades.

People who had gathered outside the court could be heard debating in a hushed tone whether Roy was the real guilty or being made scape goat and whether he could be pardoned if he moves the higher court.

Court room number 210 on the second floor of Sealdah court, where the hearing was scheduled to be held, was packed with lawyers, policemen and media.

The judge, on entering the court room around 2.15pm directed that the accused be brought to the room. As cops were having a tough time to make space for the accused, the judge warned that if he would be forced to hold the proceedings in-camera as the safety and security of the accused was a priority. Roy was brought inside the court room around 2.23pm.

Soon after the proceeding started the judge first asked the counsels of all sides whether there was any stay on the case by the Calcutta high court or Supreme Court. The proceedings started at 2.30pm as scheduled when the counsels answered in a negative.

The judge also said that the order has been prepared with his observations under various subheads dealing with profile of the victim, who discovered the body, cause of death, whether she was murdered and sexually assaulted, whether one or more persons were involved.

“In some portions I have also criticised the role played by the police and hospital authorities. The case stands on circumstantial evidence. The chain of events and some activities by the hospital authorities raised some confusions in my mind. I have addressed them in the order,” the judge said during the proceeding which lasted for just 5 minutes.

The victim’s parents who were seated on a bench in the court room stood up after the verdict was pronounced and Roy was taken away by the cops. The victim’s father thanked the judge with folded hands as he broke into tears.

“Judge saheb we had kept our faith on you. You have kept its honour. We want to thank you,” the victim’s father told the judge.

“Please come to the court on Monday,” the judge said.

After the hearing Roy was taken back to the Presidency Correctional Home where he was lodged amidst heightened security.

“We had charged Roy under sections 64, 66 and 103 (1) of the BNS. The court has found him guilty under all the sections. The sentence will be announced on Monday,” said Partha Sarathi Dutta, CBI’s counsel.

Under section 64 of the BNS the minimum punishment is not less than 10 years of rigorous punishment which may extended up to life imprisonment. The punishment for crime under section 66 may go up to life imprisonment or death and for 103 (1) is either life imprisonment or death.

Junior doctors, who had ceased work and held a hunger strike for more than a month last year demanding justice for the victim, said that justice won’t be meted out until all the questions and allegations are answered.

“We still believe that more than one person was involved and evidence was tampered during the investigation. Unless all the persons involved are brought to justice, we won’t consider this has justice. It is not possible for one civic volunteer to enter the hospital, commit such a crime and leave silently without being noticed,” said Aniket Mahata, a junior doctor who became a prominent face during the doctor’s strike.

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