
KOLKATA: The local Sealdah court on Saturday found Sanjoy Roy, a 33-year-old former civic police volunteer, guilty in the gruesome rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar hospital.
He will be sentenced on Monday.
The 31-year-old doctor, who was on duty on August 8 night, was found dead the next morning, sparking a massive probe and protests that brought West Bengal to a standstill.
Local media referred to her as 'Abhaya' (the fearless), on the lines of the 2012 Delhi rape case trial, in which the victim was named 'Nirbhaya'.
In a 160-page judgment, the Additional District and Sessions Court in Sealdah on January 18 convicted Roy under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita that deal with rape, murder, and causing death.
"I have criticised a few activities of the police and hospital authorities which came out in the evidence. Activities of the HoD, MSVP and Principal created a few confusion and it has been criticised," said judge Anirban Das while pronouncing the order.
After the judgment, the victim's father broke down in the court and told the judge, "You have honoured the faith that I reposed in you."
The court said it will hear Roy’s pleas on Monday when it hears the arguments on the punishments he would undergo.
The convict's claim of innocence contradicts his initial confession to the crime.
The CBI, which had taken over the probe from Kolkata Police amid concerns of destruction of evidence, too had found him guilty.
Sanjay Roy was first arrested by Kolkata Police a day after the victim was found dead in the hospital's seminar hall. They handed him to the CBI when they took over.
His trial was conducted in-camera and behind closed doors, and the statements of at least 50 witnesses were recorded.
Besides Roy, the medical college's principal Sandip Ghosh and the former officer of the local police station, Abhijit Mondal, were arrested on charges of evidence tampering.
Later, both secured a 'default bail' since CBI did not pursue the charges within the next 90 days.
The full order is yet to be uploaded, which is expected to throw some light on the evidence destruction claim.
The conviction also raises hope for thousands of doctors who had gone on strike demanding a safer work environment and better infrastructure which would make them feel secure.
Brought to the crowded courtroom on Saturday afternoon amid tight security, Roy repeated his claim that he was being framed as his lawyers tried to calm him down.
When he was being taken out, he claimed a certain 'IPS' knew everything.
'Evidence tampering' claims followed as a mob vandalised the emergency department at the hospital when thousands of residents hit the streets to protest against the crime.
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday 'welcomed' the Sessions court’s verdict but called for further investigation into the larger conspiracy allegations raised by the victim’s parents.
“We welcome the judgment. But we would have been happier if the former principal of R G Kar hospital, Sandip Ghosh, and former Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal were also punished today," Adhikari said.
"The allegations of a bigger conspiracy leveled by the parents and junior doctors must be looked into. It must be seen whether anyone else was also involved in the crime or not,” he added.
TIMELINE:
2 am: RG Kar victim was seen entering the scene of the crime – the Seminar Room
9.30 am: Two of the doctor's colleagues report that they found her lying unconscious on the mattress in a semi-naked condition.
10.10 am: Tala police station receives a call from the outpost at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital of a doctor found lying “unconscious, half-naked” in the seminar hall of the chest department.
10.53 am: The assistant superintendent of the hospital informs the victim’s parents over the phone that their daughter has fallen ill. On the way to the hospital, the parents are told that their daughter has died by suicide.
12 noon: RG Kar victim's parents reach the hospital and are made to wait for hours in the room of the chest department’s head before they were allowed to see their daughter.
3.30 pm: Then Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal takes the parents to the scene of crime.
4 pm: A judicial magistrate is summoned for conducting the inquest.
6.10 pm: The post-mortem is conducted.
8.30 pm: The body is cremated.
11.45 pm: An FIR is lodged at the Tala police station by the victim’s father.
August 10: Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, is arrested by the Kolkata Police. Roy was caught on CCTV camera entering the seminar hall and a Bluetooth device belonging to him was found near the body. Junior doctors go on cease-work.
August 12: CM Mamata Banerjee met the victim's parents, promising a CBI probe if the police fail to solve the case in seven days. RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh stepped down and was transferred to another hospital.
August 13: The Calcutta High Court, led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, ordered a CBI probe into the RG Kar case and directed Dr. Sandip Ghosh to go on leave.
August 14: The "Reclaim the Night" protest saw massive crowds in Kolkata, while a mob vandalized RG Kar Medical College's emergency department, injuring policemen. Junior doctors claimed key evidence was destroyed.
August 15: Former commissioner Vineet Goyal claimed that public trust in the Kolkata Police had been affected by the “malicious” media and social media campaign.
August 16: CBI interrogated former RG Kar Medical College principal Sandip Ghosh.
August 18: The Supreme Court took suo moto cognizance of the case.
August 20: The Supreme Court began hearing the case — with a three member division bench led by then Chief Justice DY Chandrachud. The apex court also ordered the formation of a 10-member task force to suggest measures that would ensure the safety of doctors.
August 24: Accused Sanjay Roy and six others were administered a lie detector test.
August 27: A BJP-backed protest to the West Bengal secretariat in Howrah turned violent.
September 2: Junior doctors led a protest march to Lalbazar before being stopped by the police and guardrails. They had subsequently opted to stay on the road overnight — holding the model of a human spine in a symbolic gesture aimed at the police.
September 9: The Supreme Court asked the protesting junior doctors to resume work — setting a deadline of 5:00 pm on September 10.
September 10: Junior doctors led a protest march to the West Bengal health department office in Kolkata (Swasthya Bhawan) and began a sit-in demonstration. They had sought the resignation of then police commissioner Vineet Goyal, the state health secretary, director of health education, and director of medical education. They also demanded justice for the victim.
September 11: Efforts towards a reconciliation with the government failed over refusal to livestream a meeting between Mamata Banerjee and the protesting junior doctors.
September 14: Talks failed yet again — despite CM Mamata Banerjee reaching out to the protesters and asking her to sit down for talks at her Kolkata residence. Meanwhile the CBI arrested former principal Sandip Ghosh and Tala police station officer-in-charge Abhijeet Mondal.
September 16: CM Mamata Banerjee met with the protesting junior doctors at her residence. Police commissioner Vineet Goyal and two health department officials were removed from their posts soon after the interaction.
September 17: Manoj Verma was appointed as the new Commissioner of Police — replacing Goyal.
September 20: The protesting junior doctors called off their cease-work agitation.
September 27: Fresh cease-work protests erupted following an attack against medical staff at the Sagore Dutta Hospital.
October 5: Seven junior doctors began an indefinite hunger strike in Kolkata. The development came even as West Bengal celebrated the five-day Durga Puja festival.
October 7: The CBI filed its charge sheet against Sanjay Roy.
October 15: Protests erupted in Kolkata while Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee presided over an annual Durga Puja carnival in the city.
October 19: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee interacted with the protesting junior doctors who remained on hunger strike.
October 21: The CM met with representatives of the junior doctors at the state secretariat. The protesters also called off their indefinite hunger strike following a request from the father of the victim.
November 4: Charges were framed against the accused.
November 11: The in-camera trial began in a special CBI court.
December 13: Former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh and former Tala police station OC Mondal were granted bail after the CBI failed to submit its chargesheet against the duo in the rape-murder case. Ghosh however remained behind bars due to an ongoing corruption probe.
December 19: The parents of the victim moved the Calcutta High Court seeking a fresh investigation. They were however told to get clarification from the Supreme Court.
December 20: Junior doctors began a fresh sit-in protest in Kolkata, calling for the CBI to file a chargesheet against Ghosh and Mondal.
December 31: The junior doctors ended their protest.
January 9: The trial concluded at the Sealdah court with the CBI seeking death penalty for the accused.