Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
The bloodied body of a female doctor was found in a classroom at a government college and hospital in Kolkata last August.
A police volunteer was convicted of the rape and murder of a medical intern at a hospital in India, which sparked national protests last year.
The Sealdah Civil and Criminal Court found 33-year-old Sanjay Roy guilty of rape and the killing of the intern, whose bloodied body was found in a classroom at Kolkata's RG Kar Government Medical College and Hospital last August, the case revealing the country's struggle with sexual violence against women.
Judge Anirban Das, who presided over the fast-track trial, said the accused, who protested his innocence in court and insisted he was a fraud, could face life in prison or the death penalty when he is sentenced on Monday.
“Your guilt has been proven. You are convicted,” the judge announced, saying the charges were proven by circumstantial evidence.
Roy's lawyers, who have yet to comment on the verdict, said there were glaring inconsistencies in the inquest and forensic reports in the trial, which began on November 11 and saw 51 witnesses cross-examined.
The parents of the 31-year-old victim, who cannot be named under Indian law, expressed displeasure at the investigation, saying the crime could not have been committed by just one person.
“Our daughter could not have suffered such a horrific end from a man,” her father said. “We will remain in pain and agony until all the culprits are punished. My daughter's soul will not rest in peace until she gets justice.
Seeking justice
More than 200 armed police were deployed to await the verdict.
As Roy was taken to court in a police car, protesters chanted: “Hang him, hang him.”
Several doctors chanted slogans in solidarity with the victim.
Dr Aniket Mahato, spokesman for the junior doctors, said the street protests would continue “until justice is served”.
The gruesome nature of the attack led to weeks of national protests, drawing comparisons to the 2012 gang-rape and murder of a young woman. in a bus in the capital New Delhi. This led to requests from doctors in public hospitals for additional security.
India's Supreme Court set up a national task force after the protests to suggest ways to improve safety measures at government hospitals.
The Federal Police of India, which is investigating the case, is also loaded the officer in charge of the local police department at the time of the crime and the then head of the hospital with destroying the crime scene and tampering with evidence.
The policeman has been released on bail and the former head of the hospital remains in custody in connection with a separate case of financial irregularities at the hospital.
