Kolkata:

The mother of Sanjay Roy, who was convicted for the rape and murder of the medic of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Sunday said if her son is guilty then he should get the punishment he deserves, even if it means hanging.

She said she will “cry alone” but will accept his punishment as destiny.

Initially reticent to speak to the media after the Sealdah court convicted Sanjay on January 18, Malati Roy the mother of Sanjay told reporters on Sunday morning that being a woman, and a mother of three daughters, “I can feel the anguish and pain of the mother of the woman medic who is like my daughter.”

“If the court decides to hang him to death, I don’t have any objection as his crime has been proved in the eye of the law, I will cry alone but accept it as a quirk of fate, something willed by destiny,” the 70-year-old-woman said standing on the doorstep of her shanty on Shambhunath Pandit Street, about 5 km away from the commotion and buzz at Sealdah Court the other day.

Asked if she had turned up during any of the court hearings or met Roy at the lockup, she replied “No. Why should I? Despite my failing health I would have tried to visit if the charges were found to be untrue.” Sanjay has three sisters and one of them died years back.

One of the elder sisters, who lives close to Malati’s home, at her in-law’s place, on Saturday said in case he is proven guilty, the law should take its own course punishing him and the family has no plan to challenge the order on its own in any court.

The middle-aged woman, her face partially covered in dupatta, told reporters at a shanty in the Bhawanipore area that she had not visited the Sealdah Court room where her brother was produced and the court pronounced him guilty.

“Please leave me alone. We are shattered,” she said when reporters continued to ask if she thought her brother was really guilty.

“But if he has committed any crime, he should get proper punishment. We don’t have any plan to challenge the order on our part. I am living in my in-laws house. I don’t have any contact with my family since my marriage in 2007 while my mother is not well,” she said.

The woman, who did not wish to divulge her identity or name, said her brother used to be like any normal boy during his childhood days.

“As he grew up, he turned to booze but apart from that I myself did not ever hear any case about Sanjay misbehaving with any woman. Of course as we did not have regular contact with him in the past few years and he used to live in a separate locality I don’t have any fair idea about his associations and whether he was involved in any criminal offence,” she said.

The woman, however, added “There are reports in media that Sanjay was not alone at the site of crime. So I would expect that investigations must have been thorough to find only one person’s involvement in such a crime. Had others been involved directly or indirectly that should also be investigated and they should be brought to book.” “Since Sanjay’s arrest, we were under the stigma and everyone from neighbours to relatives would point fingers at us saying we are Sanjay’s family. I hope we are clearing the air now,” the elder sister said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Sanjay Roy, the prime accused in the gruesome rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar hospital, has been found guilty by a local court in Kolkata today. He will be sentenced on Monday.

Roy, a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was found guilty under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita that deal with rape, murder, and causing death.

However, Roy claimed that he was not guilty and was “being framed”. As he was being taken out, Roy claimed a certain “IPS” (Indian Police Service) officer knew everything.

“I haven’t done this. Why are those who did it being allowed to go? I always wear a chain of rudraksh on my neck. If I committed the crime my chain would have been broken in place of occurrence. I can’t commit this crime,” he said.

Responding to him, the judge said he would have an opportunity to speak on Monday before the sentence is pronounced. “You will be heard on Monday. Now, I am sending you to judicial custody. Your punishment will be announced on Monday. I have fixed the time at 12:30 to hear. Then will announce the punishment,” Justice Das said.

The judgment was pronounced nearly two months after the in-camera trial commenced in November last year and over 160 days after the heinous crime was committed on August 9.

On August 9, body of a trainee woman doctor was found in a semi-naked state in the seminar hall of the RG Kar Hospital. A day after the incident, the Kolkata Police arrested Roy after he was seen entering the building around the estimated time of the crime in a CCTV footage.

North 24 Parganas (West Bengal):

As the Sealdah Civil and Criminal Court is set to announce the verdict of RG Kar’s rape-murder case today, the father of the deceased doctor said on Saturday that whatever punishment is appropriate will be decided by the court.

Speaking to ANI, he asserted that they will continue to knock on the door of the court until they get justice in the case.

“Not just one, but the DNA report shows the presence of four boys and one girl. We will feel some relief when the accused are punished. Until we get justice, we will keep knocking on the doors of the court and will also seek the support of the people of the country,” the father said.

He also alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation has done nothing in the matter.

“The CBI has done nothing in this matter. There is no question of satisfaction here. We have raised several questions before the High Court and the Supreme Court. We have sought answers from the court itself. We did not seek answers from the CBI, but the court assigned all responsibility to the CBI,” he said.

“In two months, the court reviewed all the evidence, and whatever punishment is appropriate will be decided by the court,” the father of RG Kar victim added.

He also mentioned that they have written letters to the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, and the Law Minister, but have not received any response from any of them.

The case, which involves the rape and murder of a trainee doctor whose body was found on August 9 in the hospital’s seminar room, sparked widespread protests. After the incident, Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer at the hospital, was arrested in connection with the crime.

In November last year, the CBI filed a chargesheet concerning financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The chargesheet named Sandip Ghosh and others, including Dr. Ashish Kumar Pandey, Biplab Singha, Suman Hazra, and Afsar Ali Khan, for their involvement in financial misconduct. This investigation was initiated following an order by the Calcutta High Court.

In addition to the corruption case, Sandip Ghosh faced questioning regarding the murder case. As part of the probe, the CBI conducted polygraph tests on him.

A delay in filing the chargesheet resulted in bail being granted to the accused, including Abhijit Mondal and Sandip Ghosh.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kolkata:

A local court verdict on the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital is scheduled today. Civic volunteer Sanjay Roy is the key accused in the case that shook the nation and sparked protests.

Kolkata:

The continuing protests by the junior doctors of West Bengal against the ghastly rape and murder of a junior woman doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata in August this year are not in self-interest but in the larger public interest, Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) national President R.V. Asokan said on Friday.

“The junior doctors are protesting against the rampant corruption in the healthcare system. They are speaking against the lack of safety at their workplaces which are hospitals. They are not carrying their protests out of self-interest… Their protests are in the larger public interest. They have really touched my heart. I want to say that IMA is beside them,” R.V. Asokan said after reaching the dais at Esplanade in central Kolkata where six junior doctors are continuing their fast-unto-death protests in support of their demands on the issue.

However, at the same time, R.V. Asokan requested the fasting doctors to withdraw their agitation.

“Life comes first. Do not adopt the extreme step,” he was heard appealing to the doctors on hunger strike.

Already Aniket Mahato, one of the seven junior doctors who were conducting the fast-unto-death agitation, had been admitted at R.G. Kar after Thursday midnight after his medical conditions deteriorated sharply. The panel of doctors attending him had claimed that although his condition had slightly improved from what it was on Thursday, he was yet to be out of the crisis.

Meanwhile, the medical conditions of the remaining six junior doctors who are continuing their hunger, namely Tanaya Panja, Snigdha Hazra, Sayantani Ghosh Hazra, Anushtup Mukhopadhyay, Arnab Mukhopadhyay, and Pulastya Acharya, too have started showing deteriorations. While ketone bodies have been detected in their urine, their blood pressure levels have started fluctuating and pulse rates are high.

“Even Aniket initially refused to get admitted to the hospital last night. But we somehow convinced him. The state government can choose to act in an inhuman manner. But we have the responsibility towards our colleague,” said Debasish Halder, one of the principal faces of the junior doctors’ movement on this issue.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kolkata:

The junior doctors, protesting over the rape and murder of their colleague at the RG Kar hospital, went on fast unto death on Saturday evening, claiming that their demands were not fulfilled by the West Bengal government.

With three days left before the Durga Puja festivities start, the doctors had on Friday begun a sit-in demonstration at the Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala in the heart of Kolkata, setting a 24-hour deadline for the state government to fulfil their demands.

“The state government has failed the deadline and hence we are starting the fast unto death, which will continue till our demands are fulfilled. To maintain transparency, we have installed CCTV cameras at the dais where our colleagues are holding the fast,” a junior doctor said.

“We joined duty last night but will not eat anything,” he said, adding that at present six junior doctors were sitting on fast.

The six doctors who were sitting on the fast were identified as Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja and Anustup Mukhopadhyay of Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, SSKM’s Arnab Mukhopadhyay, Pulastha Acharya of NRS Medical College and Hospital, and Sayantani Ghosh Hazra of KPC Medical College.

The state would be held responsible if any doctor fell ill during the fast, the junior doctor said.

“We have the support of the people, and that is the reason we are not scared of any sort of hindrances by the administration. We will continue our hunger strike until our demands are met,” he added.

A large number of common people and a few celebrities were present at the protest site in the evening.

The junior doctors had on Friday night called off their ‘total cease work’, which had crippled healthcare services at state-run medical colleges and hospitals.

Earlier in the day, the medics alleged the police were not allowing them to set up the dais.

Kolkata Police had denied the junior doctors’ request for permission for the sit-in, stating that the road witnesses heavy traffic flow.

The protesting doctors had also alleged that they were baton-charged by the police on Friday night.

Promising “necessary action”, Kolkata Police in an e-mail asked them to identify the police personnel involved and lodge a complaint.

“With reference to the allegation of physical assault, the matter is being enquired. However, you are requested to direct the doctor/person who has allegedly been assaulted to lodge a formal complaint at the concerned Police Station, necessary action will be taken in accordance with the law,” the mail said.

The protesters emphasised that securing justice for the woman medic remains their foremost priority.

Among the other nine demands, they called for the immediate removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam, as well as accountability for the alleged administrative incompetence and corruption within the Health Department.

Other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and the formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.

Furthermore, they are advocating increased police protection in hospitals, the recruitment of permanent women police personnel, and the swift filling of vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers.

The junior doctors went on “cease work” following the rape-murder of a fellow medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.They ended their stir after 42 days on September 21 following assurances from the state government of looking into their demands

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kolkata:

Trinamool Congress leader Ashish Pandey who has been putting up at a hotel in Salt Lake since August 9 is currently under Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) scanner, which is probing the rape and murder of a junior female doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata.

Incidentally, the body of the junior female doctor was discovered at the seminar hall within the hospital premises on the morning of August 9 only.

Sources said that the investigating agency came to know of Mr Pandey putting up at the Salt Lake on the night of August 9 by examining a number of mobile phones which were under their scanner as a part of the investigation.

Mr Pandey is also a house staff of the same hospital.

After coming to know of Mr Pandey putting up at the said hotel, the CBI officials issued a notice to the hotel authorities asking to send an employee along with the booking register of the hotel to the agency’s Salt Lake office.

One of the staff members of the hotel arrived at the CBI office on Thursday along with the booking register and other related documents and submitted the same to the investigating agency.

It is learnt that Mr Pandey booked the room in the hotel for the night of August 9 through a hotel booking app. It is further learnt that Mr Pandey had checked in the hotel on the night of August 9 and checked out on the next morning.

However, the investigating officials are yet to inform about the event of Mr Pandey’s booking hotel room and the rape and murder case of the female doctor.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)