Rapist and Murderer of Indian Doctor Sentenced to Life Imprisonment, Family Expresses Shock

The rapist and murderer of a 31-year-old doctor in India has been sentenced to life in prison, a crime that sparked widespread protests and hospital strikes across the nation last year.

The victim’s grieving family, who had called for the death penalty, expressed their shock and disappointment at the verdict. Judge Anirban Das ruled that the case did not meet the criteria of “rarest of the rare” to merit capital punishment and ordered the convict, 33-year-old Sanjoy Roy, to serve life imprisonment without parole.

The brutal murder took place in August 2024 when the doctor’s bloodied body was discovered at a government hospital in Kolkata. The crime ignited outrage and renewed focus on the chronic issue of violence against women in India, the world’s most populous country. Roy was arrested the day after the body was found and charged with rape and murder.

The crime led to massive protests by healthcare workers demanding increased security in hospitals. Thousands of citizens joined the demonstrations, calling for justice and greater protection for doctors. In response, India’s Supreme Court formed a national task force to improve safety for healthcare workers, describing the murder as an act that had “shocked the conscience of the nation.”

Roy, who pleaded not guilty throughout the fast-tracked trial, was convicted on Saturday. The victim’s mother, seated near Roy during the hearing, voiced her frustration, stating that the family had sought the death penalty for the brutal crime.

“We are devastated by this verdict,” said the victim’s father, his voice breaking with emotion. “We will not stop fighting for justice, no matter what it takes.”

Indian law prohibits the identification of family members in cases involving sexual violence. The horrific nature of this case has drawn comparisons to the infamous 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder, which triggered nationwide protests and led to significant legal reforms on crimes against women.

While India imposes the death penalty, executions are rare. The last instance was in March 2020, when four men convicted in the 2012 Delhi bus gang rape and murder were hanged. Despite the verdict in the recent Kolkata case, the victim’s family remains resolute in their pursuit of harsher punishment, vowing to appeal the decision.