Aarohi Girish Dhumale
A court in West Bengal has formally charged Sanjay Roy, the individual accused of raping and murdering a 31- year old resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
The Sealdah court in West Bengal has framed charges against Sanjay Rai, a civic volunteer and the prime accused of the case, under Sections 103(1) (which prescribes the death penalty or life imprisonment, along with a fine, for murder), 64 (punishment for rape), and 66 (punishment for causing death or resulting in a persistent vegetative state of the victim) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sahita.
A second-year medical student was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on 9th August, 2024. Her death sparked widespread protests across West Bengal, with doctors from across the country showing solidarity with the junior doctors in Kolkata. The prime accused, Sanjay Rai, was arrested by the next day, i.e. 10th August, 2024, by the Kolkata Police.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) later included 11 pieces of evidence in its chargesheet against Sanjay Roy, such as DNA reports and blood samples, identifying the arrested Kolkata Police civic volunteer as the “sole accused” in the rape and murder of the woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital.
The CBI chargesheet states “His [Roy’s] presence in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and also at the third floor of the emergency building where SoC (scene of the crime) lies, during the intervening night of August 8 and 9 is proved by way of CCTV footage. His presence is proved by way of the location of his mobile phone as per CDR,”
The CBI chargesheet also accused the then officer-in-charge of Tala police station, Abhijit Mondal, and the former principal of RG Kar Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, of attempting to cover up the incident and destroy evidence, which led to their arrests.
The case will go to trial on 11th November, 2024.