Kolkata, Jan 20: A special court in Kolkata, on Monday, sentenced Sanjay Roy, the sole accused in the case of ghastly rape and murder of a woman doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, to life imprisonment.

While pronouncing the quantum of sentence, the judge of the special court, Anirban Das, also made it clear that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s contention that Roy’s offence in the matter was “the rarest and rare crimes” was not tenable.

Hence, the judge observed that instead of the “death penalty”, Roy, an erstwhile civic volunteer attached to Kolkata Police, be sentenced to “life imprisonment”.

Apart from that a financial penalty of Rs 50,000 has also been imposed on Roy.

The judge of the special court, at the same time, directed the West Bengal government to pay a compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the family of the victim.

The judge observed that the since the victim was raped and murdered at her workplace, which is a state-government entity, legally the state government has to pay compensation to the victim’s family.

The detailed order copy will be uploaded soon following which the other details of the order of the special court will be available.

On January 18, Roy was convicted under Section 64 (punishment for rape), Section 66 (punishment for causing death or resulting in a persistent vegetative state of a victim) and Section 103(I) (punishment for murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

On the compensation issue, the victim’s parents argued that they have never sought money as compensation for the ghastly end of their daughter.

The judge explained to them that while he was aware that they had not sought compensation, as per legal provisions he had ordered the state government to pay the compensation.

“Now how you will utilize the money is entirely up to you,” the judge of the special court said.

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 from the date of the crime following an order of the Calcutta High Court 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 in the seminar hall within the R.G. Kar premises.

The conviction process was completed on January 18. The sentence was pronounced at 2.45 p.m. on Monday exactly 164 days from the date of crime.

While the conviction in the crime of “rape and murder crime” is over, the angle in the tampering of evidence in the matter is still alive. The CBI, sources said, had already informed the special court that the scope for filing a supplementary charge sheet on the “tampering of evidence” angle is still open, which keeps the case open.

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 CBI failed to file the supplementary charge sheet against the duo within 90 days of their arrest.

Both Ghosh and Mondal were accused of misleading the investigation and tampering with the evidence while the initial investigation in the matter was being carried out by Kolkata Police before the CBI took charge of the investigation following an order of the Calcutta High Court.

Vijayapura (Karnataka), Jan 20: In a shocking incident, three labourers in Karnataka’s Vijayapura district were brutally thrashed by their employer for returning late to work after festival celebrations, said officials on Monday.

A video showing the labourers being assaulted with iron pipes by three men went viral in the state, raising widespread concern.

According to the police, the incident occurred at a brick factory near Star Chowk in the Gandhinagar locality on the outskirts of Vijayapura city.

The victims have been identified as Sadashiva Madar, S. Babaladi, and Umesh, who are from Chakkaliki village in the state’s Bagalkot district. Preliminary investigations revealed that the owner of the brick factory, Khemu Rathod, had the labourers punished inhumanely for a trivial reason.

Vijayapura Superintendent of Police (SP) Laxman B. Nimbargi stated to the media that legal action would be taken against Khemu Rathod and others involved in the incident.

Police sources revealed that the labourers had taken an advance payment from the accused owner, Khemu Rathod, after agreeing to work in his brick factory. They had gone to their native village to celebrate the Sankranti festival but returned four days late.

The delay enraged Khemu Rathod, who verbally abused them first and questioned their being late. Despite the victims’ assurances that they would complete the pending work, the accused became furious. He got all three labourers tied with ropes and then assaulted them inhumanely.

The video shows the three labourers with their hands and legs tied, made to sit with their legs stretched out. While one of the accused’s associates holds a victim’s hair and stands on their knees, another is seen beating the victim’s feet with an iron pipe with full force. All three victims are seen being punished in the same manner, screaming and wailing in pain as they endure the assault.

The police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the matter.

Kolkata, Jan 20: Asfakullah Naiya, one of the leading faces of the junior doctors’ movement against the rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, on Monday approached the Calcutta High Court challenging summons from the Bidhannagar City Police.

The single-judge Bench of Justice Trithankar Ghosh has admitted the petition and the matter will come up for hearing this week.

Incidentally, Naiya’s petition at the Calcutta High Court comes on the same day when a special court in Kolkata is scheduled to pronounce the sentence against the sole convict in the rape and murder, Sanjay Roy, an erstwhile civic volunteer attached to Kolkata.

Earlier on January 16, Naiya was slapped with a show-cause notice by the West Bengal Medical Council based on a complaint against him for working as an ENT specialist at a private medical service provider in the state, despite not possessing the necessary qualification for the same.

On the same day, the Bidhannagar City Police issued summons to him in the same case and a team of cops also reached his residence at Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district.

However, when the cops reached his residence Naiya was at the hostel of R.G. Kar, where he is currently undergoing his post-graduation with specialisation in ENT.

Naiya has claimed that he is being harassed by the state and police administration because he actively participated in the protests over the rape and murder of the lady junior doctor.

Meanwhile, Naiya has also received support in the matter from civil society and the common people.

Now, finally on Monday, he approached the Calcutta High Court challenging the police summons.

The body of the lady doctor was recovered from the seminar hall of R.G. Kar on the morning of August 9 last year.

What followed was a series of protests by the representatives of the medical fraternity in the state and common people where Naiya was seen to be a leading face.