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.

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

Protests erupted in West Bengal last August after the body of a trainee doctor was found with multiple injuries in a hospital lecture hall.

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.

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,

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.

A court in India has given the life sentence to a man for the rape and murder of a junior doctor, a crime that sparked nationwide outrage and protests. The judge rejected demands for the death penalty but said that Sanjoy Roy,