It was a crime that shook the nation to its core.
On an August morning, the body of a 31-year-old junior doctor was found in the seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
More than six months later, the country remains on edge, awaiting a verdict in the case as the sessions court in Sealdah, Kolkata, is poised to deliver its judgment.
However, the story leading up to this moment is as much about what happened after the crime as the crime itself.
The body of the 31-year-old junior doctor was found in the seminar hall on the fourth floor of the hospital. Her body had 16 external and nine internal injuries. The postmortem would later confirm death by manual strangulation following sexual assault. The accused, a 28-year-old traffic police volunteer named Sanjay Roy, was arrested the next day, August 10, 2024.
Shock turned into anger, and anger into a nationwide movement. Protests erupted not just in Kolkata but across the country. Doctors, medical students, and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) led a fierce campaign, demanding justice for their colleague and increased safety for healthcare professionals.
Just two days after the body was discovered, the West Bengal government transferred the hospital’s Superintendent. But this administrative shuffle was far from enough to quell the growing outcry. The hospital’s principal, Sandip Ghosh, stepped down on August 12, following nationwide protests led by the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), which brought elective medical services to a grinding halt.
By August 13, the dissatisfaction was palpable. The victim’s parents, along with others, filed a petition before the Calcutta High Court. They demanded an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing distrust in the Kolkata Police. The High Court agreed, handing over the case to the CBI.
The protests grew. Doctors refused to return to work. Services in hospitals across India were disrupted as medical professionals stood united in their demand for swift action. “We will not be silent,” read one banner held aloft during the demonstrations.
As the nation watched, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) intervened, noting visible signs of struggle on the victim’s body. On August 14, the Kolkata Police formally handed Sanjay Roy over to the CBI.
Just a day later, on August 15, as the nation celebrated its Independence Day, another form of protest emerged: ‘Reclaim the Night’ rallies, organized by women and activists, demanding justice and protection for women. At RG Kar Medical College, however, the protests turned violent. A mob vandalized the hospital and crime scene. Tensions flared further when the National Commission for Women (NCW) accused the authorities of security lapses and raised alarms that the crime site had undergone premature renovations.
August saw a cascade of events: On August 17, the IMA announced a 24-hour nationwide strike in solidarity with the victim. On August 20, the Supreme Court itself weighed in, constituting a 10-member task force to address the safety of healthcare professionals. By the end of the month, the protests had spiralled into larger political movements. The Nabanna Abhijan march to the West Bengal secretariat turned into clashes between police and protestors, leading to a state-wide strike, called by the BJP on August 28.
The CBI, under intense pressure, raided the homes of Sandip Ghosh and several others connected to the hospital. By mid-September, the agency arrested Ghosh, accusing him of tampering with evidence. The officer-in-charge of the local Tala police station, Abhijit Mondal, was also detained for delaying the filing of the first information report (FIR).
The court formally charged Sanjay Roy only in November. Roy faced charges under India’s Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including rape and murder. But even as the trial began in a Sealdah court, it was clear that the road to justice was anything but smooth.
In December, the CBI’s case took a blow. The court granted bail to both Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal after the CBI failed to file its chargesheets within the statutory 90-day period. Allegations swirled that Ghosh had known about the crime earlier than he had reported, and he remained under scrutiny by the Enforcement Directorate for unrelated financial crimes.
For the victim’s parents, it was another blow in a long and painful process. They moved the Calcutta High Court, alleging that the investigation had been half-hearted, urging for a new inquiry.
The final hearing at Sealdah court concluded on January 16, 2025. For many, the outcome has far-reaching effects. In the words of one protesting doctor: “This isn’t just about her. This is about all of us.”
On January 18, the court pronounced Sanjay Roy, the main accused, as guilty, with his sentencing due on Monday (January 20).