A court in India has sentenced a man to life in jail for the rape and murder of a junior doctor, in a case that caused countrywide outrage and demonstrations.
The judge dismissed calls for the death penalty but said Sanjoy Roy, a hospital volunteer convicted over the weekend, would spend the rest of his life in jail.
Roy has maintained his innocence and is expected to appeal the conviction to a higher court.
The victim’s relatives stated they wanted him to be hanged and were “shocked” by his sentencing.
“We will continue our fight and won’t let investigations stop… Come what may, we will fight for justice,” the woman’s father told the AFP news agency.
The murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata sent shockwaves across the country in August.
Indian law prohibits revealing the identity of victims of sexual violence or their family members.
Her half-naked, severely injured body was discovered near a podium by a colleague.
According to the chargesheet submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Roy arrived at the hospital drunk and discovered the female doctor sleeping alone.
The autopsy report revealed that the woman was strangled and had damage marks indicating she fought back.
Roy was arrested one day after the crime and has continually rejected the charges.
In Kolkata, physicians went on strike for several weeks, demanding action against the accused and officials they claimed were involved in delaying or derailing the probe.
