India: Man jailed for life in doctor rape, murder case

A court in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata on Monday sentenced a man convicted of raping and murdering a young female physician to life imprisonment.

The killing of the doctor while she was on duty at a hospital  reignited anger over the issue of chronic violence against women in India, sparking protests across the country.

What we know about the case

The 31-year-old female medical trainee was found dead at one of the largest government hospitals in the eastern city of Kolkata last August.

Her body sustained multiple injuries and an autopsy report described evidence of sexual violence. 

After the incident, doctors at government hospitals staged a walkout, demanding better security and safety measures for health workers. The head of the hospital where the incident took place resigned.

The judge in the case had said that 33-year-old Sanjoy Roy, a police volunteer, faced sentences ranging from life imprisonment to the death penalty.

The sentence was announced in a packed courtroom, with the parents of the victim among those in court.

A court on Saturday found Roy guilty of rape and murder.

Judge Anirban Das said circumstantial evidence proved the charges against Roy, who was arrested a day after the crime and has since consistently maintained his innocence.

India's federal police, who investigated the case, called the crime "the rarest of the rare" during the trial and urged for the death penalty to be handed down.

However, the judge said the case did not fit that category and that Roy could also appeal to a higher court.

The fast-tracked case was initially investigated by the Kolkata police but handed over to federal investigators after state-level officers were accused of mishandling the investigation.

What is the significance of the case?

The incident highlighted an underlying problem of sexual violence against women in India.

It also prompted India's Supreme Court to set up a national task force to identify better safety measures in government hospitals.

Many cases of crimes against women in India are not reported because of the stigma that surrounds sexual violence, as well as a lack of trust in police.

National Crime Records Bureau figures released for 2022 showed that the number of recorded rape cases in India was on the increase. Police recorded 31,516 reports of rape — a jump of 20% from 2021.

The 2012 gang rape and killing of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi triggered massive protests across India. It also inspired lawmakers to order stricter penalties — including the death penalty for repeat offenders — and create fast-track courts dedicated to such cases.

rc/nm (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)