The Kolkata doctor rape case of 2023 involved the brutal murder and rape of a female trainee doctor at a RG Kar Medical College and hospital in Kolkata, India. This horrific crime sparked widespread protests, legal action and led to the arrest of several people, including the hospital’s former principal.
The incident, which initially saw attempts to label it as a suicide, has now become the focal point of intense public outrage, with growing demands for justice and accountability.
Key Points Of Rape Case:
- Victim: A young trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College.
- Location: Kolkata, India.
- Date: August 9, 2024.
- Crime: Rape and murder.
- Arrests:The authorities arrested multiple individuals, including the former principal of the hospital, in connection with the case.
- Public Reaction: The incident triggered widespread protests and outrage across India, highlighting concerns about women’s safety and the handling of such cases by authorities.
Protest for Docator Rape Case Justice :
The situation escalated on August 27 when a large protest march, the ‘Nabanna Abhijan,’ led by Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj and Sangrami Joutha Mancha, erupted into violence. Protesters clashed with police across Kolkata and Howrah, breaking barricades and hurling stones, prompting police to respond with tear gas, water cannons, and lathi charges. As protests continue to grow, demanding swift justice for the victim doctor , the West Bengal government faces high mounting pressure, with calls for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation growing louder amid accusations of administrative failure and attempts to suppress the truth.
The incident, which initially saw attempts to label it as a suicide, has now become the focal point of intense public outrage, with growing demands for justice and accountability.
Main Accused Sanjay Roy :
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) The probe has intensified with lie-detection tests on key suspects, including Sanjay Roy, and an investigation into possible cover-ups by hospital staff and local police. The Supreme Court has taken notice of the case, noted serious flaws in the initial investigation, and ordered a thorough inquiry.
On August 10, a day after the grisly murder, authorities arrested Sanjay Roy based on CCTV footage. They also found his Bluetooth headset inside the seminar hall, where the incident took place.
Sanjay Roy, the accused in the murder and rape case of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, has told his lawyer Kavita Sarkar that he is innocent and that the police and various investigation teams are framing him. According to his lawyer, he maintained his innocence during the polygraph test as well. Investigators asked Sanjay Roy different questions, including what he did next after murdering the doctor. He told the CBI sleuths that the question was invalid because he didn’t murder the doctor.
Roy claimed in the polygraph test that the woman was unconscious when he entered the seminar hall of the hospital.He claimed he saw the woman covered in blood inside the seminar room on August 9. He rushed out of the room in panic.
Kolkata Doctor Rape Case: Evidence against Sanjoy Roy
- The police found Sanjoy Roy’s Bluetooth earphones in the seminar hall of RG Kar Hospital.
- Further, investigators found his blood and skin under the nails of the Kolkata doctor.
- The investigators also found injury marks on Sanjoy Roy.
- The CBI had conducted a psychological test on Sanjoy Roy and that results of the same declared him as a ‘sexual pervert’.
- CCTV footage also showed Sanjoy Roy in the premises of the seminar hall in RG Kar Hospital during the time of the crime on the intervening night of August 9 and 10.
Timeline of what has transpired since the tragic incident:
- August 9: Authorities found a 31-year-old trainee doctor raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. They discovered her dead with several injuries on her face and body in the seminar hall of the hospital. The Kolkata police arrived, and they informed the victim’s parents of the ‘alleged suicide.’ Later that night, the police registered an FIR at Tala Police Station.
- August 10: Kolkata police arrested accused Sanjay Roy in connection with rape and murder of the trainee doctor, after his ‘prolonged examination and confession of guilt’. The autopsy report of the victim confirmed murder following sexual assault. Protests erupted in Kolkata and other parts of India, demanding justice for the victim and swift action from the authorities.
- August 11: Bengal government transferred the Superintendent of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata over alleged lapses leading to the rape and murder of the trainee doctor inside the hospital premises.
- August 12: The former principal of RG Kar Medical College was arrested in connection with the case.
- August 13: A special investigation team CBI took over the investigation from the Kolkota Police and took custody of the accused.
- August 14: The victim’s body was cremated amid widespread public mourning.
Subsequent Developments
- August 15: The CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) took over the investigation from the state police, following public pressure and concerns about the credibility of the state probe.
- August 16: The CBI arrested a security guard and 19 more peoples at the hospital in connection with the case.
- August 17: The CBI conducted polygraph tests on the arrested individuals.
- August 18: Nationwide protests demanding capital punishment for the accused grew. Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the incident and posted the matter for hearing on August 20.
- August 19: CBI grilled ex-RG Kar Hospital Principal, Sandip Ghosh, for the fourth consecutive day. A local court granted CBI permission to conduct a polygraph test on the accused.
- August 20: The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter. A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud constituted a 10-member task force to formulate a national protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and asked the state government and Kolkata Police to submit a status report.
- August 21: Kolkata police suspended three officers over vandalism at RG Kar Hospital. The Union government asked the CISF to take over security at RG Kar Hospital.
CBI & Supreme Court Action On Kolkata Doctor Rape Case
- August 22: The Supreme Court reprimanded Kolkata Police for delay in taking action in the case. “How was it that the post-mortem was conducted at 6.10 pm on August 9, and yet the unnatural death information was sent to Tala police station at 11.30 pm on August 9? This is extremely disturbing,” the SC bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said on Thursday. The court asked the Assistant Superintendent of Police to be present in the next hearing and urged the protesting doctors to return to work. Following the Supreme Court’s request, the doctors called off the strike and returned to work. CBI sought a polygraph test on RG Kar hospital’s former principal Sandip Ghosh and four other junior doctors, who were on duty on the date of the incident.
- CBI says it will send the DNA and forensic reports to AIIMS to seek their opinion on the case.CBI has sought permission from Kolkata court to conduct a polygraph test on city police assistant sub-inspector Anup Dutta who was said to be close to Sanjay Roy. The CBI is exploring if Dutta helped Roy in any cover-up of the crime.
Doctor Resume Their Duties
- August 23: Resident doctors, including those of Centre-run AIIMS, RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Delhi government-run LNJP, Maulana Azad Medical College, GTB Hospital and Indira Gandhi Hospital, resumed duties. The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) and the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) took the decision after the Supreme Court issued directions about the safety of healthcare personnel. A special court in Kolkata allowed a polygraph test to be conducted on Sanjay Roy. Rallies and demonstrations were held in various parts of Kolkata, demanding a fast investigation into the case.
Lie-detection Tests of Main Acuses
- August 24: Lie-detection tests have begun for the main accused and six others. The main accused will be tested in prison, while the others, including Sandip Ghosh and four doctors, will be tested at the agency’s office.
- August 25:The CBI tested Sanjay Roy at Presidency Jail and searched the offices of Sandip Ghosh, Sanjay Vashisth, and 13 others for financial irregularities. They also searched the ex-principal’s office and the canteen.
March And CM Resignation
- August 26: The ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ march, organized by Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj, sought Mamata Banerjee’s resignation and took place on August 27.
- August 27: The protest march to Nabanna, West Bengal secretariat in Howrah, was carried out. Hundreds of processionists, mainly youths, commenced the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ from two locations across the city, demanding CM’s resignation. The rally, organized by ‘Chhatrasamaj’ and ‘Sangrami Joutha Mancha,’ started at College Square in north Kolkata and Santragachi in Howrah.
- Ongoing: The CBI continues to investigate, pursuing leads and gathering evidence, which may lead to further arrests and developments.
It turned ugly as protestors broke barricades and pelted stones at the police personnel deployed in the city. Clashes between police and protesters at various locations in Kolkata led to injuries on both sides. Police fired teargas and resorted to water cannon and lathi charges to disperse the protesters.
