The man has been found guilty in the case of rape and murder of the doctor

An Indian court has convicted a man of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor, a crime that sparked outrage across the nation.

Hospital volunteer Sanjay Roy was found guilty of the attack in August last year at a hospital in the city of Kolkata in the state of West Bengal.

The incident sent shockwaves across the country, leading to protests and concerns about the safety of India’s healthcare workers, especially women.

Judge Anirban Das said the sentence to be announced on Monday would range from life imprisonment to death. Roy has maintained his innocence and previously said they were being framed.

The victim’s mother told AFP news agency that people would lose faith in the Indian legal system if Roy was not given the death penalty.

The body of the 31-year-old doctor, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found on August 9, 2024 at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

After a grueling 36-hour shift, he went to sleep in the hospital’s seminar room. His half-naked body, seriously injured, was found by a colleague next to a podium.

The post-mortem examination found that the victim was strangled and had injuries showing that she resisted.

According to the chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), seen by the BBC, Roy went to the hospital drunk and found the female doctor alone asleep.

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 case to the CBI after allegations of mishandling by state officials.

In the weeks following the incident, doctors and nurses held protests and rallies across India to demand justice and better safety for doctors.

Such a protest, “Reclaim the Night” In the march, tens of thousands of women took to the streets at night in Kolkata and other cities on August 14, the eve of India’s Independence Day.

In December, the victim’s parents had sought a fresh probe in the Calcutta High Court, expressing lack of faith in the CBI investigation.

They argued that Roy alone could not have committed the crime and stated that all those involved would be satisfied only in the face of justice. The High Court has said that it will consider the claim only if the Supreme Court – which is monitoring the case – so directs.

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

A 2017 survey by the Indian Medical Association found that more than 75% of Indian doctors have experienced some form of violence. The survey also revealed that almost 63% of doctors fear potential violence while treating patients.

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

Many cases of rape in India go unreported, mostly due to the social stigma surrounding sexual violence and lack of trust in the police and judicial system. According to activists, the victim is often shamed instead of the perpetrator, especially in rural areas.

In 2012, the rape and murder of a medical student by a group of men in the Indian capital Delhi attracted worldwide attention and led to similar wider protests.

Public outrage prompted authorities to change rape laws in 2013. The changes broadened the definition of the crime, introduced tougher penalties for sexual assault and lowered the legal age from 18 to 16.

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