RG Kar Medical College Rape and Murder Case

In 2025, a female junior doctor was found raped and murdered in a seminar hall at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, India. The victim had been on duty and was resting during a break when she was attacked. The brutality of the crime triggered a nationwide outcry. A civic volunteer, Sanjoy Roy, who worked with the Kolkata Police and had access to the hospital, was arrested based on CCTV footage and forensic evidence. The Central Bureau of Investigation took over the case. The incident ignited massive protests across India, demanding better safety for healthcare workers and swift justice for the victim. The case underscored the pervasive issue of violence against women and institutional failures in public hospitals.

In January 2025, a Kolkata court convicted Sanjoy Roy of rape and murder. The judge described it as a "rarest of rare" case but, rejecting the death penalty, sentenced Roy to life imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life. The court also imposed a fine and directed compensation for the victim's family.

The primary dispute focused on the initial handling by Kolkata Police, including allegations of evidence tampering and delays that prompted the transfer to the CBI. Controversy also arose over the safety protocols in public hospitals, demands for capital punishment versus life imprisonment for the convict, and widespread public mistrust regarding a potential cover-up involving local authorities.

The crime triggered massive, prolonged protests and strikes by resident doctors across India, severely disrupting healthcare services. It led to renewed national demands for stricter laws and dedicated legislation to protect medical professionals, culminating in the Central Protection Act draft. The case became a watershed moment for women's safety activism, highlighting the vulnerability of female employees in institutional settings and eroding public trust in local policing.