A Kolkata court sentenced police volunteer Sanjoy Roy to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Judge Anirban Das of the Sealdah District Sessions Court delivered the verdict on Monday (20 January), three days after finding Roy guilty of the crime that triggered widespread national outrage, reports the Times of India.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India’s federal investigative agency, had classified the crime as "rarest of rare" and sought the death penalty for Roy during the trial.
“We seek the highest penalty to preserve public trust in the justice system,” the CBI lawyer implored the court prior to the sentencing.
Last Friday, Roy was convicted of sexually assaulting and killing the doctor in August of the previous year.
However, Judge Das ruled that the case did not fulfil the criteria for the "rarest of rare" category, thus imposing a life sentence rather than capital punishment.