The special court in Kolkata is set to deliver its verdict on Saturday in the rape and murder case of a woman doctor from the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Civic volunteer Sanjay Roy has been identified as the “sole prime accused” in the case.
The judge’s observations during the verdict, beyond pronouncing Roy’s conviction, may shed light on the much-discussed allegations of tampering and altering evidence during the initial phase of the investigation by Kolkata Police. The case was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Calcutta High Court.
The CBI, during its investigation, filed a single charge sheet naming Roy as the “sole prime accused” in the rape and murder. Roy was initially arrested by Kolkata Police just a day after the victim’s body was discovered in a seminar hall on the R.G. Kar premises in August 2024.
While the CBI also arrested former R.G. Kar principal Sandip Ghosh and former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal for tampering with and altering evidence, both were granted “default bail” by the same special court as the CBI failed to file a supplementary charge sheet against them within the mandated 90-day period.
The process of framing charges against Roy was completed on November 4, 2024, and the trial commenced on November 11. The entire trial was conducted in camera in a closed courtroom. Statements from 50 witnesses were recorded during the proceedings, including the victim’s parents, investigating officers from both the CBI and Kolkata Police, forensic experts, and the victim’s colleagues and fellow doctors at R.G. Kar.
Following the discovery of the body and during the initial CBI investigation, the incident sparked massive protests. Representatives from the medical fraternity, civil society, and the general public took to the streets demanding justice for the victim, who was referred to by protesters as “Abhaya” (the fearless). These demonstrations soon spread beyond West Bengal to other parts of India and even garnered global attention, with Non-Resident Indian (NRI) associations joining in solidarity.