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

Sanjay Roy, a police volunteer, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for the rape and murder of a trainee doctor attacked while on duty in Kolkata — a crime that sparked widespread protests across India.

The police had sought the death penalty in a horrific but familiar crime. Its handling by the local authorities had outraged the nation.

A sessions court in Kolkata will pronounce today the quantum of sentence for Sanjay Roy. Follow The Hindu’s live updates

An Indian court has sentenced the man convicted of raping and murdering a female doctor at a Kolkata hospital to life in prison.

A court in India's Kolkata has sentenced the man convicted of raping and murdering a junior doctor to life imprisonment. The Indian court's judgement came as a disappointment to the victim's parents.

Israel delayed implementing the deal. Palestinians said Israeli strikes on Gaza continued.

An Indian court has convicted a civic police volunteer of brutally raping and murdering a female doctor at work in a Kolkata hospital last year.