KOLKATA: Sanjay Roy, the key accused in the rape and murder of a 31-year-old resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, repeatedly responded “I can’t say” to 56 out of 104 questions posed by the prosecution. However, he admitted to being the person seen in CCTV footage in the hospital’s chest department on August 9, a critical detail that linked him to the crime.
This admission played a pivotal role in his conviction and subsequent life imprisonment by a Sealdah trial court on Monday. Additional Sessions Judge Anirban Das, in his 172-page judgment, underscored the significance of Roy’s acknowledgment of the CCTV footage, which captured him leaving the chest department at 4:31 am holding a helmet but without his Bluetooth earphones. The footage established Roy’s presence in the vicinity of the seminar hall, where the victim had gone to rest after a 16-hour shift.
The court noted that Roy failed to challenge the authenticity of the CCTV footage, making his admission a crucial piece of evidence. Judge Das remarked, “Despite being cautioned about the implications of his responses, he confirmed the contents of the footage, making his presence near the crime scene undeniable.”
Roy’s explanation for being at the hospital—that he was visiting a fellow civic volunteer undergoing surgery—fell apart under scrutiny, as he failed to identify the patient or substantiate his presence in the male ward. Additionally, his claim that he left his helmet and earphones in the ward was deemed unconvincing.
Further damning evidence came from forensic analysis, which found Roy’s saliva on the victim’s body. He alleged the evidence was planted after police torture, but the court dismissed this claim, pointing out that the victim had already been cremated before Roy was taken into custody on August 10.
The defence’s argument that Roy’s facial injuries were from boxing practice was also rejected by forensic experts, who confirmed the injuries were scratch marks consistent with resistance during an assault. Judge Das criticized the defence strategy, stating, “The explanations offered were contradictory and only served to further implicate the accused.”
The verdict and life sentence mark the culmination of a case that shocked the city and highlighted the critical role of forensic evidence and CCTV footage in securing justice for the victim.