Trial starts over rape, murder of junior doctor in India's Kolkata

Shutterstock [For illustration]

A court in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal began the trial on Monday of a police volunteer accused of raping and murdering a doctor at a government hospital in August.

The woman's body was found in a classroom at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in the state capital Kolkata on August 9, federal police said. They also said they had arrested a police volunteer, Sanjay Roy, for the crime.

Charges were drawn up last week, while Roy said he was "completely innocent" and was being framed, local media reported.

The case has reignited criticism of India's poor record on women's safety despite the introduction of tougher laws following the 2012 gang rape and murder of a woman on a moving bus in New Delhi.

It also shines a light on the poor infrastructure and security at government hospitals in the country, many of which lack basic facilities including CCTV cameras and security personnel.

Around 128 witnesses will be examined during the trial, court sources told Reuters, with hearings taking place on a daily basis as authorities look to fast-track the high-profile case. They will not be open to the public.

In addition to the defendant Roy, India's federal police said they arrested the officer in charge of the local police station and the superintendent of the hospital for allegedly tampering with evidence and financial irregularities.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met protesters last month and accepted most of their demands, doctors seeking reforms said, but they added they would track progress on her assurances and maintain pressure for change.

More from International news

  • US prosecutors to seek death penalty for Luigi Mangione

    U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of shooting and killing the CEO of UnitedHealth Group's insurance division Brian Thompson in New York last year.

  • UN warns window to find Myanmar quake survivors closing

    Aid groups in Myanmar on Tuesday described scenes of devastation and desperation after an earthquake that killed more than 2,700 people, stressing an urgent need for food, water and shelter and warning the window to find survivors was fast closing.

  • Trump administration begins mass layoffs at health agencies

    The Trump administration has fired staff at U.S. health agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health, as it embarked on its plan to cut 10,000 health jobs, according to sources familiar with the situation and a health official.

  • Israel says it 'eliminated' Hezbollah operative in Beirut strike

    The Israeli military said it killed a Hezbollah operative in an airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs early on Tuesday, while three other people were reported killed and seven injured, further testing a shaky four-month ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

News