BJP criticises life imprisonment verdict for Kolkata rape-murder convict as 'travesty of justice'

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Monday criticised the sentence of life imprisonment for the convict in the R G Kar rape-murder case by a Kolkata court as a "travesty of justice", and said justice must not only be done but also be seen to be done.

BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya, who is also his party's organisational co-incharge for West Bengal, called for appealing the judgement and for probe agencies to investigate the role of the then Kolkata commissioner and the state's chief minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly destroying the evidence.

He said on X, "Life imprisonment and a 50,000-rupee fine for Sanjoy Roy, accused in the RG Kar rape and murder case, is a travesty of justice. The verdict must be appealed."

He added, "West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee must stop shielding the criminal. Agencies also need to investigate the role of the then Kolkata Commissioner and the Chief Minister in the destruction of evidence. Justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done."

The Kolkata court sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment till death on Monday after he was convicted of rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das in Sealdah had on Saturday held Roy guilty of the crime committed against the postgraduate trainee doctor at the hospital on August 9 last year, which sparked off unprecedented and prolonged nationwide protests.

Das said the crime did not fall under the "rarest of the rare" category as justification for not giving the death penalty to the convict.

The CBI, a federal probe agency, had investigated the case.