In short:
Civic police volunteer Sanjay Roy has been sentenced to life imprisonment after he was convicted of raping and murdering a female doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Judge Anirban Das found the crime did not meet the rarest-of-rare criteria needed for the death penalty.
What's next:
Roy is able to appeal the sentence.
An Indian court has sentenced the man convicted of raping and murdering a female doctor at a Kolkata hospital to life in prison.
WARNING: The details in this story might be distressing to some readers.
Civic police volunteer Sanjay Roy was convicted on Saturday of raping and murdering the 31-year-old female trainee doctor while she slept on a long shift at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024.
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On Monday, Kolkata's Sealdah Court gave him a sentence of life imprisonment for the crimes of rape, rape causing death and murder.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had demanded Roy be given the death penalty, but the court deemed the matter did not meet the threshold of being 'the rarest-of-rare' cases.
"I do not consider it as a rarest-of-rare crime," judge Anirban Das said, and sentenced Roy to life in jail on both the counts of rape and murder.
"Life imprisonment, meaning imprisonment until death."
The judge said that he had come to the conclusion that it was not a rarest-of-rare crime after considering all the evidence and the circumstances linked to it.
Protests followed the Kolkata doctor rape murder verdict. (ABC News: Ellie Grounds)
He said Roy could appeal to a higher court.
The sentence was announced in a packed courtroom as the judge allowed the public to witness proceedings on Monday.
Security was stepped up with dozens of police personnel deployed at the court complex.
The crime sparked outrage across India last year, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets in the weeks after, demanding justice for the victim.
It also led to a weeks-long nationwide doctors' strike.
The parents of the junior doctor were among those in court on Monday.
The parents had earlier said that they were not satisfied with the probe and suspected more people were involved in the crime.
Their lawyer, Amartya Dey, told Reuters on Monday that they had sought the death penalty for Roy and also demanded that those involved in what they called the "larger conspiracy" be brought to justice.
Outcome a 'half justice'
Soon after the sentence was handed down, doctors and other supporters marched outside the court, protesting against the decision.
They have long maintained one person alone couldn't be responsible for the crimes, due to the extent of injuries the victim suffered.
Dr Soumyadip Roy told the ABC the outcome was "half justice".
"We will continue our agitation till we get to know everything," he said.
"We want all of the people involved to be punished."
Protesters say more than one person was involved in the crime. (ABC News: Ellie Grounds)
In September, the CBI arrested the superintendent of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and the officer in charge of the local police station for allegedly tampering with evidence, but no charge sheet was ever submitted for them.
The police officer is out on bail, while the hospital superintendent, Sandip Ghosh, is in detention in connection with a separate case concerning financial irregularities at the hospital.
West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters she was not satisfied with the verdict.
"All of us had demanded a death sentence, but the court has given a life term until death," local media reported she said.
"The case was forcibly taken from us.
Indian doctors condemn verdict in murder case
Photo shows A woman wearing glasses looking distressed in a crowd.
"Had it been with the [Kolkata] police, we would have ensured that he served a death sentence."
The day after the doctor's body was discovered, Kolkata Police arrested Roy, but had the matter taken away from them a few days later, when Kolkata's High Court transferred the case to the CBI, criticising the local police's handling of the investigation.
The court on Monday also ordered Roy to pay 50,000 rupees (around $930) as a fine, and directed the state of West Bengal to pay 1.7 million rupees (around $32,000) to the victim's family as compensation.
Local media reported the victim's father refused the compensation.
"I don't think money can compensate any death," it said judge Anirban Das told him in court.
"It was the liability of the state to protect your daughter as she was on duty.
"This is a statutory provision. If you take it, you can use it."
ABC/Wires
