The R G Kar Doctor Rape-Murder Case
A 31-year-old junior doctor was raped and murdered while on duty at Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. Sanjay Roy was convicted in January 2025 and sentenced to life imprisonment until death. His conviction and sentence remained under appellate review in 2026, while separate proceedings examined alleged investigative lapses and whether further inquiry was warranted.
On August 9, 2024, the body of a 31-year-old postgraduate junior doctor was found inside R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, where she had been working an overnight shift. The crime triggered nationwide protests by doctors and renewed scrutiny of safety for women and medical workers. A fast-tracked trial later convicted civic police volunteer Sanjay Roy of rape and murder.
The victim and the hospital
The victim was a junior doctor working at the state-run hospital. Crime by Region does not publish her name. Reporting from Reuters and Indian courts describes her as 31 years old. She was found dead in a seminar or classroom area of the hospital on August 9, 2024.
The case rapidly became larger than a single criminal trial. Medical professionals across India protested, demanding justice and stronger security at public hospitals. At the same time, the victim's parents publicly expressed concern that the investigation might not have identified every person involved.
Investigation and transfer to the CBI
Kolkata Police arrested Sanjay Roy, a civic police volunteer, shortly after the crime. On August 13, 2024, the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation to India's Central Bureau of Investigation. The CBI later prosecuted Roy as the principal accused.
Additional criminal proceedings were also brought against a local police official and a former hospital administrator over allegations concerning the handling of the crime scene and evidence. Those proceedings were separate from the rape-and-murder charge against Roy and do not establish that those individuals participated in the killing.
Trial and conviction
The trial was fast-tracked before Judge Anirban Das in Sealdah. The prosecution relied on circumstantial and forensic evidence. On January 18, 2025, the court convicted Sanjay Roy of rape and murder. Roy denied the charges and maintained that he had been framed.
On January 20, 2025, Judge Das sentenced Roy to life imprisonment, meaning imprisonment until death. Prosecutors had requested the death penalty, but the judge concluded that the case did not meet the legal threshold for the “rarest of rare” category required for capital punishment.
Appeals over conviction and sentence
The judgment did not end the litigation. Roy's defense pursued an appeal challenging his conviction. The CBI separately appealed the sentence, asking the Calcutta High Court to enhance the punishment from life imprisonment to death. In February 2025, the High Court admitted the CBI's sentence appeal while rejecting a separate West Bengal state appeal on procedural grounds.
By May 2026, the Calcutta High Court had assigned a special bench to hear the connected matters, including Roy's appeal against conviction, the CBI's request for a death sentence and the victim's parents' request for further investigation. Those proceedings mean that the conviction is adjudicated at trial level but not procedurally final in every respect.
Further investigation in 2026
In May 2026, the Calcutta High Court directed the CBI to create a special investigation team to examine alleged lapses by police and hospital authorities during the initial investigation and allegations of an attempted “hush-up.” The court did not, by ordering that inquiry, find that another person had committed the rape or murder.
In September 2026, West Bengal police also made arrests in a new case arising from allegations related to the handling of the victim's cremation. Those later allegations concern possible misconduct surrounding the aftermath and investigation; they are not proof that the newly named individuals participated in the rape or murder.
Sanjay Roy is a convicted offender, not merely a suspect. At the same time, his appeal remains pending, the CBI is seeking a harsher sentence, and courts have allowed further inquiry into alleged investigative lapses. Crime by Region therefore labels the case Solved / Adjudicated — Appeals Pending rather than suggesting every surrounding question has been finally resolved.
Timeline
- The junior doctor's body is found
The 31-year-old doctor is found dead inside R G Kar Medical College and Hospital while working an overnight shift.
- Sanjay Roy is arrested and the case is transferred
Kolkata Police arrest Roy; the Calcutta High Court later transfers the investigation to the CBI.
- Roy is convicted
The Sealdah court finds Sanjay Roy guilty of rape and murder.
- Life sentence imposed
Judge Anirban Das sentences Roy to life imprisonment until death rather than capital punishment.
- CBI sentence appeal admitted
The Calcutta High Court admits the CBI's appeal seeking enhancement of Roy's sentence to death.
- Special bench and further inquiry
The High Court assigns connected appeals to a special bench and directs a CBI SIT to examine alleged investigative lapses.
- Separate aftermath investigation continues
Police make arrests in a separate case concerning allegations around the handling of the victim's cremation; those allegations do not establish participation in the rape or murder.
Current status
Solved / Adjudicated — Appeals Pending. Sanjay Roy was convicted of rape and murder and sentenced to life imprisonment until death. As of September 2026, his conviction appeal, the CBI's request for a death sentence and related further-investigation proceedings remained active. No reliable source located in this review showed that his conviction had been overturned.
Sources and further reading
- Reuters — January 20, 2025 conviction, life sentence and defense position
- Times of India — February 8, 2025 High Court admission of CBI sentence appeal
- Times of India — May 16, 2026 special bench and pending connected appeals
- Times of India — May 21, 2026 CBI SIT ordered to examine alleged investigation lapses
- Indian Express — September 3, 2026 separate new FIR concerning alleged cremation-related misconduct
Last reviewed: September 4, 2026