Sanjay Roy, who is on trial for raping and murdering a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Teaching Hospital has pleaded not guilty, his lawyer announced today, Saturday, December 21.

The discovery of the doctor's bloodied body at a government hospital in Kolkata on August 9 provoked widespread outrage and sparked nationwide demonstrations at the long-standing issue of violence against women in India.

Roy's lawyer, Sourav Bandyopadhyay informed AFP that he pleaded not guilty in the ongoing hearing of the case at the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court in Sealdah.

He is the lone suspect in the case.

"I am not guilty, your honour, I have been framed," Roy told the court, according to Bandyopadhyay.

Roy, a civic volunteer at the hospital, was arrested the day after the murder and has been detained since. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

The court began hearings on November 11, hearing evidence from over 50 witnesses. It was not until yesterday, Friday, December 20 that Roy took the stand.

Roy had already claimed that he was innocent to the public when he screamed it out loud from a prison vehicle outside the Sealdah court right before a hearing in November.

The next hearing of the Sealdah Sessions court case is set for January 2, 2025.