West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her dissatisfaction after Kolkata court sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a 34-year-old doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Banerjee remarked that had the case not been handed over to the CBI, the Kolkata Police would have ensured the death penalty for the convict.
"We demanded death penalty from Day 1. 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. If the case stayed with us, we would have ensured death penalty long back," Banerjee stated. She pointed out that the case was taken away but noted, "We had said that if we cannot do it, then hand it over to CBI. Because we want justice."
The Trinamool Congress government faced intense criticism following the discovery of the crime on August 9, which had prompted the Supreme Court to transfer the investigation to the CBI. This decision was made amidst allegations of a cover-up involving top state government officials, leading to nationwide protests.
Five months later, the court concluded that the prosecution failed to prove the crime was of the 'rarest of the rare' nature, which would have warranted a death penalty.
Alongside Roy's life sentence, the State was ordered to provide Rs 17 lakh as financial assistance to the victim's parents. Despite this, the victim's family and doctors protesting the verdict have argued against accepting the compensation and continue to seek justice, insisting that Roy was not the sole perpetrator.
Accusations persist regarding an alleged cover-up by the state government to protect individuals associated with the ruling party. Banerjee has denied these allegations, having previously led a protest march demanding justice.