The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) expressed strong dissatisfaction on Monday after the court sentenced Sanjay Roy, the convict in the RG Kar rape-murder case, to life imprisonment. FORDA General Secretary, Sarvesh Pandey, remarked that the medical community was completely discontent with the verdict, calling it “surprising” and “unacceptable.” He emphasized that FORDA had led the movement in this case and believed that a death sentence was warranted. Pandey added that the association’s legal team would closely examine the details of the judgment before deciding on further steps.
Vinay Aggarwal, Chairman of the IMA Action Committee, also voiced his disappointment, stating that the entire nation was outraged by the lack of a death sentence for such a brutal crime. He urged the High Court to reconsider the case, asserting that the nation, along with the medical community, was dissatisfied with the life sentence. Aggarwal pointed out that the convict had implicated others in the crime, further strengthening the case for capital punishment.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her discontent with the court’s decision. Speaking in Malda, she stated that had the case been handled by Kolkata Police, a death sentence would have been ensured. Banerjee reaffirmed her long-standing demand for capital punishment in such severe cases, citing the police’s track record of securing death penalties in similar cases within 54 to 60 days. She remarked that the RG Kar case was grave, and had it been under Kolkata Police’s jurisdiction, the death penalty would have been pursued earlier.
The case involves the rape and murder of a trainee doctor, whose body was discovered on August 9 in the seminar room of RG Kar hospital.
