A court in India has sentenced a man to life in prison for the rape and murder of a junior doctor, in a case that sparked nationwide outrage and protests. The judge rejected demands for the death penalty but said that Sanjay Roy, a hospital volunteer in Kolkata city who was convicted over the weekend, would spend the rest of his life in jail.

India's West Bengal state launched an appeal on Tuesday to overturn a life sentence in favour of the death penalty for a police volunteer convicted of the rape and murder of a junior doctor, a senior lawyer aware of the development said.

A court in India has convicted a man of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor - a crime that sparked nationwide outrage. Sanjay Roy, a hospital volunteer worker, was found guilty over the attack, which happened in August last year at a hospital in Kolkata city in West Bengal state.

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

The family of the doctor broke into tears, saying they were "shocked" at the sentence and had hoped her murderer would be sentenced to death.

Police sought death penalty, arguing it was a 'rarest-of-rare' crime Convict said he was innocent, was framed and sought clemency Judge said he did not consider it an extremely rare crime Ruling BJP official criticises sentence as a 'travesty of justice' Junior doctors protest outside court seeking harsher sentence KOLKATA,