Man found guilty in India doctor rape and murder case

An Indian court has convicted a man of raping and murdering a trainee doctor, a crime that sparked nationwide protests. Sanjay Roy, a hospital volunteer worker, was found guilty of the attack, which occurred at a hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal last August. The incident sent shockwaves across the country, triggering widespread protests and raising concerns about the safety of healthcare workers, particularly women, in India.

Judge Anirban Das stated that the sentencing, to be announced on Monday, would range from life imprisonment to the death penalty. Roy has maintained his innocence and previously stated that he was framed. The victim's mother told AFP that people would lose faith in India's legal system if Roy was not sentenced to death. The 31-year-old doctor's body was found at the busy state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, 2024, and she cannot be named for legal reasons.

She had gone to sleep in the hospital's seminar hall after a gruelling 36-hour shift. Later, a colleague found her semi-naked and badly injured body near the podium. A post-mortem found that the victim had been strangled and had marks of resistance on her body. According to the charge sheet submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which the BBC has reviewed, Roy had gone to the hospital drunk and found the female doctor sleeping alone. He was arrested a day after the crime.

The case was initially investigated by Kolkata police, but the court later transferred the investigation to the CBI after state officials were accused of mishandling it. In the weeks following the incident, doctors and medical students across India held protests and rallies demanding justice and better security for doctors. One such protest, a “Reclaim the Night” march, saw thousands of women take to the streets in Kolkata and other cities on the night of August 14, on the eve of India’s Independence Day.

Last December, the victim’s parents petitioned the Calcutta High Court for a reinvestigation, expressing a lack of faith in the CBI’s probe. They argued that it was unlikely Roy had committed the crime alone and said they would only be satisfied when all those involved were brought to justice. The High Court stated it would only consider the request if directed to do so by the Supreme Court, which is overseeing the case. The incident has raised concerns about increasing violence against health workers in India, with many facing physical abuse from angry patients or their relatives.

A 2017 survey by the Indian Medical Association found that over 75% of doctors in India have experienced some form of violence. The survey also revealed that nearly 63% of doctors fear potential violence while treating patients. Meanwhile, sexual violence against women remains a pervasive problem in India. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), over 31,000 rape cases were reported in India in 2022. Many rapes in India go unreported, largely due to the social stigma surrounding sexual violence and a lack of faith in the police and justice system. Activists say this often results in victims being shamed rather than the perpetrators, especially in rural areas.

In 2012, the rape and murder of a medical student by a group of men in Delhi, India’s capital, gained global attention and sparked similar, wider protests. Public outrage prompted authorities to amend rape laws in 2013. These amendments broadened the definition of the crime, set out harsh punishments for sexual assault, and lowered the age at which someone could be tried as an adult from 18 to 16.