An Indian court has sentenced a man to life in prison for the rape and murder of a young doctor, in a case that has sparked nationwide outrage and protests.
The judge rejected requests for a death penalty but said Sanjoy Roy, a hospital volunteer who was convicted over the weekend, would spend the rest of his life in prison.
Roy has maintained his innocence and is expected to appeal the verdict to a higher court.
The victim’s family said they wanted him to be hanged and were “shocked” by the sentence.
“We will continue our fight and will not let the investigations stop… Whatever happens, we will fight for justice,” the woman’s father told AFP.
Indian law prohibits revealing the identity of victims of sexual violence and that of their family members.
The murder of the trainee doctor at the hospital in Calcutta, in the east of the country, where she worked, sent shock waves across the country last August.
The 31-year-old had fallen asleep in the seminar room of the RG Kar Government Medical College and Hospital after a night shift. His half-naked and seriously injured body was later discovered near a podium by a colleague.
This crime has sparked widespread protests and concerns about the safety of healthcare workers in India, especially women.
According to the charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which the BBC has seen, Roy went to the hospital in a drunken state and found the female doctor sleeping alone.
The autopsy report indicated that the woman had been strangled and had marks of injuries showing that she had been in a fight.
Roy was arrested a day after the crime and has always denied the allegations.
In Calcutta, doctors went on strike for weeks, demanding action against the accused and officials they say were complicit in the delay or derailment of the investigation.
