The trial for the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which occurred on August 9, began on Monday in a Kolkata court. The proceedings were held in-camera at the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das.
During the trial, the victim’s father and a neighbor provided their witness statements in private, within the judge’s chambers.
Sanjay Roy, the main accused in the case, a Kolkata Police civic volunteer, was presented in court as the trial commenced. Speaking to reporters as he left the courtroom, Roy maintained his innocence, claiming that he was being framed by senior police officials, including the then Kolkata Police Commissioner, Vineet Goyal.
“I have not committed the rape and murder,” Roy asserted. When asked who was responsible, he stated, “They (senior Kolkata Police officials) know everything.”
Roy further alleged, “Senior officers are involved in this. The government is backing them. They have been threatening me. I am giving you the names. They are Vineet Goel and DCP Special… They have conspired to frame me into this,” as reported by PTI.
On November 4, the court had framed charges against Roy under Sections 64 (rape, punishable with rigorous imprisonment for life or not less than 10 years), 66 (punishment for causing death or leading to a persistent vegetative state), and 103/1 (murder, punishable with death or life imprisonment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Roy had once again denied the charges in court, declaring, “I am innocent. I was framed. I have not committed the rape and murder.”
Roy was arrested by the Kolkata Police on August 10, a day after the woman’s body was discovered inside a seminar hall at RG Kar Hospital. The CBI, which took over the investigation following the Calcutta High Court’s order, submitted a 45-page chargesheet to the court listing 11 pieces of evidence—ranging from forensic to documentary—that point to Roy as the sole perpetrator of the crime. The CBI’s evidence included the victim’s blood found on Roy’s jeans and shoes, as well as his hair and a Bluetooth earpiece synced with his cellphone, which were recovered from the crime scene.
The incident sparked widespread outrage, with doctors across the country protesting and demanding justice for the junior doctor.
