Kolkata, 9 August (H.S.) – One year after the brutal rape and murder of a woman junior doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital shook West Bengal, the fight for justice remains unfinished. On the first anniversary of the incident, fresh protests, rallies, and demonstrations erupted across the state, with renewed calls for accountability.
The victim’s body was discovered in the hospital seminar hall on the morning of August 9, 2024. The next day, Kolkata Police arrested civic volunteer Sanjay Roy. On August 13, the Calcutta High Court handed over the investigation to the CBI. The following day, thousands participated in a night vigil called “Reclaim the Night,” while the hospital allegedly saw attempts to destroy evidence.
On August 18, then Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud’s bench took suo motu cognisance of the case. In early September, junior doctors staged protests outside the city’s police headquarters and the state health department. After two failed meetings with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, she made a surprise visit to the protest site on September 14. Under growing pressure, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal was removed on September 16.
By late September, the agitation intensified after an attack on doctors and nurses at Sagar Dutta Medical College. On October 5, junior doctors launched an indefinite hunger strike demanding the resignation of the health secretary, which continued until October 21 despite appeals from the chief minister.
In November, the CBI filed a chargesheet against former R.G. Kar principal Sandeep Ghosh and others in a parallel case of financial irregularities at the hospital. In January 2025, a court convicted Sanjay Roy of rape and murder, sentencing him to life imprisonment on January 20. Both the state government and the CBI petitioned the High Court seeking the death penalty. The state’s plea was dismissed in February, but the CBI’s petition was admitted.
The victim’s parents approached the Supreme Court, demanding that the CBI expose a larger conspiracy and identify other possible accused. In March 2025, the apex court allowed the High Court to hear the case. On March 28, the CBI submitted a status report claiming that the victim was not gang-raped and that DNA tests from the scene were complete.
In July, Sanjay Roy filed an appeal for acquittal in the High Court, which was admitted. Meanwhile, during hearings on the victim family’s plea for a reinvestigation, the state government failed to present its case on time, prompting the court’s displeasure and setting the next hearing for August 11.
On August 9, 2025, thousands once again took to the streets, marching towards the state secretariat. The victim’s parents joined the protest, alongside Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. The victim’s mother was injured in a police lathi charge and admitted to hospital. She vowed not to back down, declaring the movement will continue.
A year on, several questions remain unanswered, and the flame of the movement for justice still burns.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
