RG Kar rape-murder accused Sanjay Roy gets life imprisonment: A case closed in 164 days, but still alive...

A special court in Kolkata, on Monday sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a woman doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal.

Special court judge Anirban Das had earlier convicted Sanjay Roy, the sole convict in the case, on January 18. Das had already made it clear that the maximum punishment in the case could be the “death penalty,” while the minimum punishment could be life imprisonment.

Although the case is closed now with the court pronouncing life imprisonment to Roy, the angle of investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as regards “tampering” and “altering” of evidence in the matter will still be alive.

Sources said the CBI had already informed the special court that the scope for filing a supplementary charge sheet on the tampering of evidence angle is still open, and the case in this particular angle remains pending, reported IANS.

Last year, the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal were granted “default bail” by the same special court, as the CBI failed to file the supplementary charge sheet against the duo within 90 days of their arrest.

When the Kolkata Police initially investigated, both Ghosh and Mondal were accused of misleading the probe and tampering with the evidence. Later, on Calcutta High Court's order, the CBI took charge of the investigation.

The body of the victim doctor was recovered from the seminar hall within R.G. Kar premises on the morning of August 9 last year. The initial investigation into the matter was started by a special investigation team of Kolkata Police, who arrested Roy. However, the CBI started an investigation five days after the date of the crime and thereafter Roy was handed over to the central agency officials by the city police.

The trial process in the matter started on November 11 last year, 59 days after the body of the victim was discovered. The conviction process was completed on January 18, which was 162 days from the date of the crime. Now, the sentence will be pronounced on Monday exactly 164 days from the date of the crime.