"We demanded death penalty from the beginning…”: Mamata Banerjee Calls Life Sentence “Insufficient” for Sanjay Roy in RG Kar Rape and Murder Case

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday expressed her disappointment with the life imprisonment sentence handed to Sanjay Roy, who was convicted guilty in the RG Kar rape-murder case. She argued that the death penalty should have been imposed instead. Banerjee asserted that the outcome of the case might have been different if it had been investigated by the Kolkata Police rather than the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"We demanded death penalty from the very beginning. 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,” said Mamata Banerjee. “The case was taken away from the Kolkata Police, and the CBI conducted the investigation. If the case stayed with us, we would have ensured death penalty long back. I don't know the details. A person who commits such a heinous crime should have faced the most severe punishment," the Bengal Chief Minister added.

The trial court in Kolkata on Monday handed down life imprisonment to Sanjay Roy, the sole accused responsible for the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old, on-duty PGT doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. "This is not a rarest of rare case of crime. Sanjay Roy will be given life imprisonment. For section 66 and 103(1), Sanjay will receive life imprisonment and a fine of fifty thousand rupees. Under section 64, Sanjay will be given life imprisonment till the last day of his life," said Justice Anirban Das while pronouncing the sentence.

Judge Anirban Das on Saturday had convicted Roy under sections 64, 66, and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Roy had raped and murdered the on duty doctor on August 9, and was arrested by Kolkata Police on August 10. The brutal incident ignited a wave of fury and protests across the country, with citizens demanding swift justice for the fallen doctor.


In the aftermath of the heinous crime, the West Bengal legislative assembly passed the Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024 last September. The bill proposes tougher penalties, including the death sentence, for crimes such as rape and sexual abuse. Currently, the bill is awaiting presidential assent before becoming law.