RG Kar Rape-Murder Incident: A local court is set to deliver verdict on the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College on Saturday. The rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal’s capital city Kolkata led to nationwide outrage and prolonged protests.

The incident took place last year on August 9 at the state-run hospital in north Kolkata.

Sanjay Roy, who was a civic volunteer with the city police, was charged for the henious crime. The judgment will be delivered on Saturday, 57 days after the trial commenced before the court of additional district and sessions judge, Sealdah court, Anirban Das.

The Kolkata Police, which was investigating the case, initially arrested Roy on August 10, a day after the medic’s body was recovered from the seminar room of the hospital. The Calcutta High Court later transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the agency has sought the death penalty for the accused. The in-camera trial in the rape and murder of the doctor commenced on November 12, and 50 witnesses were examined. Hearing in the trial of Roy was concluded on January 9.

The parents of the trainee victim doctor maintained that other persons were also involved in the crime and said that they expect that they will also be arrested and tried before the court. They have also filed an application before the court seeking further investigation into the case. The horrific incident led to nationwide outrage and prolonged protests by junior doctors in Kolkata, demanding justice for the victim and stronger security arrangements in state-run hospitals.

Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in West Bengal faced the heat over the rape and murder incident. Opposition parties, including the BJP and the CPI(M), protested the gruesome crime. However, apolitical movements demanding justice for the victim were more visible, with members of the civil society being at the forefront.

Protests Across Kolkata

Members of the civil society in Kolkata and some other cities of the state took out midnight rallies, terming those as “Reclaim the Night,” to demand justice for the victim doctor, whom some named “Abhaya,” while others called her “Tilottama.”

Disclosing the identity of a rape victim is prohibited by the law. Supporters of archrival clubs of Kolkata—East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, and Mohammedan Sporting—also took to the streets of the metropolis demanding justice for the victim.

The Supreme Court, which suo motu took up the matter concerning the rape and murder at R G Kar hospital, had formed a National Task Force (NTF) for suggesting a protocol for the safety of doctors and other medical professionals across the country. The NTF filed a report before the apex court in November last year.

(With PTI Inputs)