[RG Kar Rape-Murder] Hospital Authorities Tried To Show Death As Suicidal, Police Officers Kept Incident 'Behind Curtain': Kolkata Court

Kolkata's Sealdah Sessions court has released its 172-page judgement convicting and sentencing Sanjoy Roy in the RG Kar rape and murder case.Sessions Judge Anirban Das convicted sole accused Sanjoy Roy and sentenced him to life imprisonment after a trial that lasted over five months, after the CBI had submitted a charge sheet against Roy.Why did the court convict Sanjoy RoyIn its detailed judgement, the court laid down the various pieces of evidence it considered before convicting Roy.It pointed to the presence of DNA from Roy on the person of the victim as well as her personal effects, after the same was isolated using forensic technology. The court also cited the presence of CCTV footage which showed Sanjoy Roy leaving the seminar hall where the incident had allegedly occurred.The court also referred to witness reports that Roy had been posted at the RG Kar hospital as a Kolkata police volunteer, and had on the day of the incident consumed alcohol before entering the hospital premises.Court also referred to the cell phone tower location of Roy, which showed him to be present at the place where the incident had occurred.In discussing the motive for Roy to commit the crime, the court noted that: "In that case, only option is that the accused took entry there and on sudden impulse he had attacked the victim to meet his lust. The victim was obviously not his target or that it was not known to him that the victim was there in the said Seminar Room and the offence committed by him was not pre-planned..."Lapses by police and hospital authoritiesThe Court also severely reprimanded the lapses by the police in conducting the investigation, as well as the attempts to cover up the incident by the hospital authorities.It pointed to the role of two Sub-Inspectors of the jurisdictional Tala police station, and stated that they had committed "illegal acts" by registering the death of the victim as an unnatural death without any probe, even after the victim's father had approached them to file a complaint.It was stated that the police tried to keep the entire incident behind a curtain and made the father run from pillar to post.Court stated that even the hospital authorities, led by the former Principal Sandip Ghosh and MSVP attempted to cover up the incident to avoid liability and that they had given the narrative that the death of the doctor was due to suicide, which had been then registered by the police as a case of unnatural death. However, the court noted that due to the protests that ensued, this "illegal dream" of the authorities could not be achieved."There is no doubt to consider that from the end of any authority, efforts were made to show the death as a suicidal one so that the hospital authority would not face any consequences. From the case record it appears that the said “illegal dream” of the authority was not fulfilled as the Junior doctors raised protest and submitted one memorandum to the Principal and at that time, police force started their action but it caused sufficient delay and probably it was the reason for which the parents of the victim were not allowed to see their daughter. Being the court of law, I condemn such attitude of the R.G Kar hospital authority."However, the court noted that the lapses in the probe or cover-ups would not stand in the way of the prosecution case.VerdictThus the court found Sanjoy Roy guilty, and sentenced him to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000. It also directed the state to pay the victim's family a sum of Rs 17 lakhs under the Victim Compensation scheme.BackgroundThe incident, which occurred in August 2024, caused great furore across the country, with the High Court transferring the matter to the CBI, which filed its chargesheet before the sessions court. The matter even travelled up to the Supreme Court, which took it up suo moto to frame guidelines for workplace safety of doctors and to monitor the investigation.In the aftermath of the gruesome incident, there were protests across Kolkata, and the whole country, demanding that the perpetrators be brought to justice. The Calcutta High Court in a PIL, transferred the investigation to the CBI, who took over from the West Bengal CID which had arrested the main accused Sanjoy Roy in the rape-murder case.Various cases were filed before the Calcutta High Court, which also handed over the investigation into the alleged malfeasance and corruption by former principal Sandip Ghosh to the CBI.Cases were also filed against the Officer-in-charge of the jurisdictional police station who had registered the case as one of 'unnatural death' pointing to the fact that the victim may have committed suicide, in alleged connivance with the former principal.However, since the CBI was unable to file a chargesheet in a timely manner against the principal and OC, they were granted bail.Thus, the only remaining accused in the case against whom chargesheet had been filed by the CBI, was principal accused Sanjoy Roy.

[RG Kar Rape-Murder] Hospital Authorities Tried To Show Death As Suicidal, Police Officers Kept Incident 'Behind Curtain': Kolkata Court

Srinjoy Das

The Court sentenced sole accused Sanjoy Roy to life imprisonment for his role in the brutal rape and murder of the trainee doctor on August 9th.

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