On Sunday, August 18, the Supreme Court of India took suo motu cognisance of the rape-murder incident of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. As per reports, the matter has been listed for August 20. With this development in mind, let’s revisit the timeline of the case and examine how it has sparked widespread protests across the nation.
In the early hours of August 9, a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was found raped and murdered in the third-floor seminar room of the hospital. She was last seen alive around 3 am at the seminar room where she was resting.
At 7.30 am, she was discovered dead in a semi-naked state with multiple injuries.
At around 11 am the parents were contacted by the assistant superintendent of the hospital and informed that their daughter was unwell. About 20 minutes later, the assistant superintendent called again to report that their daughter had died by suicide — a claim that has sparked significant controversy, as the circumstances clearly pointed to rape and murder.
Further, initially, the incident was recorded as a case of unnatural death, but it was reclassified after the family filed a police complaint.
The incident ignited protests across the country, beginning at RG Kar Medical College itself.
During the police investigation, CCTV footage revealed that Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was seen near the seminar room with a Bluetooth headset, which was later found at the crime scene.
This discovery linked Sanjoy to the crime, and he was subsequently arrested. Reports suggest that Sanjoy was intoxicated when he arrived at the hospital around 4 am. The police also noted that he confessed to the crime and had visible injury marks.
Sanjoy has a history of domestic violence and was a regular at RG Kar Hospital. According to reports, he was close to former Principal Sandip Ghosh, and would use that connection to extort money from patients by promising them admission to the hospital.
It is also worth noting that Ghosh resigned from his position on August 12, taking moral responsibility for the incident, yet was appointed as the principal of another prominent medical college in Kolkata on the very same day — an action that has raised serious concerns.
However, autopsy reports suggest that more than one person may have been involved in this crime, raising the possibility of gang rape.
On August 13 Calcutta High Court transferred the case to CBI.
Meanwhile, people took to the streets to protest in order to reclaim the night on August 14 and a mob attacked RG Kar Hospital the same night and vandalised the emergency department. However, reports state the crime scene itself has been untouched.
