An Indian court awarded a life sentence on Monday to a police volunteer convicted of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the hospital where she worked in the eastern city of Kolkata, rejecting demands for the death penalty and saying it was not a rare crime.

An Indian court has sentenced a police volunteer to life in prison after finding him guilty in the rape and killing of a trainee doctor last year

An Indian court has sentenced a police volunteer to life in prison after finding him guilty of the rape and killing of a trainee doctor last year. The crime sparked nationwide protests over inadequate safety for women and led to a swift trial in the country’s slow-moving justice system.

Police volunteer Sanjay Roy, 33, who has consistently maintained his innocence, can appeal the judgment in a higher court.