A person accused of rape and murder by a doctor

A court in India has convicted a trainee doctor of rape and murder – a crime that has sparked nationwide outrage.

Sanjay Roy, a hospital volunteer, was found guilty of the attack, which took place in August last year at a hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal.

The incident sent shock waves across the country, leading to widespread protests and concerns over the safety of Indian healthcare workers, especially women.

Judge Anirban Das said the sentence, which will be announced on Monday, will range from life imprisonment to death. Roy has maintained his innocence and said he was being framed earlier.

The victim’s mother told AFP news agency that if Roy is not given the death penalty, people will lose faith in India’s legal system.

The body of the 31-year-old doctor, whose name cannot be mentioned for legal reasons, was found in 2011. He was found on August 9, 2024 at the busy government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

After a grueling 36-hour shift, she slept in the hospital’s seminar hall. Her half-naked, badly mutilated body was later found by a colleague near a platform.

A post-mortem revealed that the victim had been strangled and suffered injuries.

According to a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case file seen by the BBC, Roy went to the hospital drunk and found the female doctor sleeping alone.

He was arrested a day after the crime.

The case was initially being investigated by the Kolkata Police, but later the court handed over the investigation to the CBI after allegations of mishandling by state officials.

In the weeks since the incident, doctors and medical students across India have held protests and marches demanding justice and better security for doctors.

One of these objections, “Reclaim the Night” The eve of India’s Independence Day on March 14 saw tens of thousands of women walk the streets at night in Kolkata and other cities.

In December, the victim’s parents petitioned the Calcutta High Court for a fresh probe, saying they had no faith in the CBI investigation.

He argued that Roy could not have committed the crime alone and said that all those pursuing the case would be satisfied only when they were brought to justice. The apex court said it will hear the petition only if the Supreme Court – which hears the case – prevents it from choosing.

The incident has raised concerns about violence against health workers in India – many of whom are physically assaulted by angry patients or their relatives.

In the year According to a 2017 study by the Indian Medical Association, more than 75% of doctors in India have experienced some form of harassment. According to the survey, about 63% of doctors fear the possibility of violence while treating patients.

Meanwhile, sexual violence against women remains a widespread problem in India. In the year In 2022, more than 31,000 rapes were reported in IndiaAccording to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

Many rape cases go unreported in India, largely because of the social stigma surrounding sexual assault and a lack of trust in the police and justice system. Activists say this makes the victim feel more ashamed than the act, especially in rural areas.

In the year In 2012, the gang-rape and murder of a medical student in India’s capital, Delhi, drew global attention and sparked similar and widespread protests.

Public outrage prompted authorities to revise rape laws in 2013. The changes set out the definition of the crime, set tougher penalties for sexual assault and lowered the age of consent from 18 to 16.

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