Calcutta:
A local court in Calcutta has found Sanjay Roy, a 33-year-old former civilian police volunteer, guilty in the gruesome rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar hospital. He will be sentenced on Monday, bringing an end to the brutal incident that shocked the nation last year.
The 31-year-old doctor, who was on duty on August 8, was found dead the next morning, sparking a massive investigation and protests that brought Bengal to a standstill. Local media dubbed her 'Abhaya' (the fearless), following the example of the 2012 Delhi rape case in which the victim was called 'Nirbhaya'.
In a 160-page judgment, the Additional District and Sessions Court at Sealdah today convicted Roy under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita dealing with rape, murder and causing death.
Read: “I'm being framed”: Kolkata rape and murder convict appears in court after sentencing
“I criticized some of the activities of the police and hospital authorities that emerged from the evidence. The activities of the HoD, MSVP and the director created some confusion and it has been criticised,” Justice Anirban Das said while passing the order.
After the verdict, the victim's father broke down in court, telling the judge, “You have honored the trust I placed in you.”
Brought into the crowded courtroom under tight security on Saturday afternoon, Roy repeated his claim that he was framed as his lawyers tried to calm him down. When he was eliminated, he claimed that a certain “IPS” knew everything.
Read: Victim RG Kar's father breaks down in court and has a message for the judge
The court said it will hear him on Monday when it hears arguments over the sentences he will face.
The convict's claim of innocence contradicts his initial confession of the crime. The CBI, which had taken over the investigation from the Kolkata Police fearing destruction of evidence, had also found him guilty.
Sanjay Roy was first arrested by the Kolkata Police a day after the victim was found dead in the hospital's seminar hall. They handed him over to the CBI when they took over. His trial was conducted behind closed doors and in camera, and the statements of at least fifty witnesses were recorded.
Read: A rape murder and subsequent mass protests: Timeline of the RG Kar College case in Kolkata
Accusations of evidence tampering followed when a mob vandalized the hospital's emergency department as thousands of residents took to the streets to protest the crime.
Besides Roy, medical college principal Sandip Ghosh and former local police station officer Abhijit Mondal were arrested on charges of tampering with evidence. Both later secured “default bail” as the CBI failed to prosecute the charge within the next 90 days.
The full order is yet to be uploaded, which is expected to shed some light on the evidence destruction claim.
The conviction also raises hope for thousands of doctors who went on strike demanding a safer working environment and better infrastructure that would make them feel safe.