R.G. Kar Medical Case: Verdict Set for Tomorrow
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Synopsis
Kolkata prepares for a significant ruling on the rape and murder case involving a doctor from R.G. Kar Medical College. The accused, Sanjay Roy, faces potential conviction, while the investigation's evidence tampering controversies continue to unfold.
Key Takeaways
- Sanjay Roy is the main suspect.
- The ruling occurs in a special court.
- Concerns about evidence tampering have been raised.
- The CBI's investigation has generated significant public attention.
- Protests demanding justice have occurred both locally and globally.
Kolkata, Jan 17 (NationPress) The pivotal ruling regarding the rape and murder of a female doctor from the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata is set to be announced at a special court in the city on Saturday.
Civic volunteer Sanjay Roy has been identified as the sole prime accused in this heinous crime.
Any comments made by the judge of the special court, apart from declaring the conviction of Roy, may shed light on the much-discussed issue of evidence tampering during the preliminary investigation conducted by Kolkata Police before the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Calcutta High Court.
The CBI has filed a single charge sheet throughout the investigation, identifying Roy as the sole prime accused in this rape and murder case.
Roy was apprehended by the Kolkata Police a mere day after the body of the victim doctor was found in a seminar hall of the R.G. Kar premises on the morning of August 2024.
Even though the CBI detained the former and contentious principal of R.G. Kar, Sandip Ghosh, along with the previous SHO of Tala Police Station, Abhijit Mondal, on allegations of evidence tampering, both were later granted “default bail” by the same special court due to the CBI's failure to file a supplementary charge sheet within 90 days of their arrest.
The charge framing process against Roy at the special court concluded on November 4, 2024, leading to the commencement of the trial on November 11.
The entire trial was conducted in-camera within a closed courtroom. During this process, testimonies from 50 witnesses were recorded, including the victim's parents, investigators from both the CBI and Kolkata Police, forensic specialists, and colleagues of the victim at R.G. Kar.
In the days following the recovery of the body, a wave of solidarity emerged across West Bengal and subsequently the entire country, with representatives from the medical community, civil society, and ordinary citizens taking to the streets to demand justice for the victim, referred to by protesters as 'Abhaya' (the fearless). Over time, protests began to emerge globally from associations of Non-Resident Indians.
Concerns and suspicions about evidence tampering intensified on the midnight of August 14 last year when a group of vandals attacked the emergency department of R.G. Kar, coinciding with mass protests across the state demanding justice for Abhaya. This incident diverted significant media attention from the protests.
