Today marks one year of Kolkata doctor's rape and murder case at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Victim's parents continue to demand complete justice.
Medical students, public held a night vigil on August 8, 2025, in memory of the victim.
A year has passed by since one of the most brutal rape and murder case took place inside a state-run hospital in Kolkata and sparked a movement across the nation to bring light to the alarming state of women's safety here.
A 26-year old trainee post-graduate doctor was raped and murdered in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in the Chest Medicine Department's seminar hall where she was on her night shift duty on the intervening night of August 8 and 9 last year.
Students from various medical colleges, along with members of the public, took part in a torch procession and vigil on Friday in memory of the victim. The participants held placards demanding the arrest and punishment of all those alleged to be involved in the gruesome crime, they cards read, 'Have Not Forgotten, Will Not Forget' as they reverberated slogans of 'We Want Justice'.
The brutality of the case not only shook the doctors but the entire nation and brought them to street to demand justice and highlight the need for safer working environment for women in all walks of life.
Even though the main accused, Sanjoy Roy was given life sentence earlier this year, the parents of the victim continue to believe that there is a larger conspiracy and Roy wasn't the only person who committed the crime.
Her father told PTI, "We have lost all faith in the police and the CBI. For reasons best known to them, the CBI appears compromised, either politically or otherwise. They are just parroting what the Kolkata Police had said".
"It wasn't just a murder... it was a message that even the brightest women aren't safe, not even inside a hospital," he added.
"From day one, we have said there was more than one person. She was a strong girl. There is no way only one man could have done this inside such a secure building. All the early cover-ups point to a bigger nexus," her mother said.
Timeline
August 9, 2024
The 26-year old trainee post-graduate doctor was raped and murdered in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in the Chest Medicine Department's seminar hall where she was on her night shift duty on August 9 last year.
August 10, 2024
The main accused Sanjoy Roy, who was a civic volunteer and a frequent visitor to the RG Kar campus was arrested by Kolkata Police hours after the crime.
August 11, 2024
The West Bengal government had suspiciously transferred the hospital's Superintendent on August 11 amid protests held by junior doctors in Kolkata.
August 12, 2024
The then principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip ghosh stepped down from his post amid public outcry for the same. Protests led by Federation of Resident Doctors Association had put elective medical services to a halt in the government-funded hospitals in the state.
August 13, 2024
The parents of the victim had filed a petition before the Calcutta High Court demanding CBI investigation after expressing dissatisfaction with the Kolkata Police probe. The HC heard the plea and asked the city police to hand over the case details to CBI to take it forward.
Protests started spreading across the city and it wasn't only an issue raised by the doctors any longer, but a public demand for women's safety.
August 14, 2024
Before a national audience, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) stepped in, citing visible signs of struggle on the victim’s body. On August 14, the Kolkata Police officially transferred Sanjay Roy to the CBI.
People across the country, not just West Bengal gathered on the streets in the intervening night of August 14 and 15 as part of 'Reclaim the night' rallies, called by student activists initially and taken forward by civil groups.
August 15, 2024
The continued protests at RG Kar Medical College turned violent when a huge mob vandalised the hospital and the crime scene in the presence of police officers, making it one of the most alarming incidents of security lapse. The National Commission for Women had accused the authorities for failing to protect the crime scene from being violated.
August 2024
The protests held by doctors intensified with Indian Medical Association announcing nationwide strikes in solidarity with the junior doctors in Kolkata.
The Supreme Court on August 20 had constituted a 10-memeber task force to address the safety issues levelled by the healthcare professionals.
The Centre deployed CISF personnel at the state-run hospital. The Kolkata police suspended three officers over vandalism on August 15.
Local news channels started referring to victim as 'Abhaya' and marches demanding justice were held by people on a regular basis. The protests also took a political turn when Bengal BJP accusing the ruling-TMC of failing law and order along with lack of women's safety called for 'Nabanna Abhijan' march on August 28 which again turned out to be violent.
September, 2024
The CBI arrested ex-principal Sandip Ghosh and three others over financial irregularities and fraud and on the next day following huge public outcry, the West Bengal Health Department suspended Ghosh.
The officer-in-charge of the local Tala police station, Abhijit Mondal, was also detained for delaying the filing of the first information report (FIR).
Junior doctors in the city began a sit-in protests outside Swasthya Bhavan, the headquarters of the state Health Department in Salt Lake on September 10 as they continued to refrain from elective services and help from senior doctors who managed to hold down the forts.
The state government refused to meet junior doctors' demands for holding a live streamed meeting with CM Mamata Banerjee over the case and security of doctors in the state.
CBI charges Sandip Ghosh with delay in lodging FIR in rape and murder of the doctor, and tampering of evidence. The agency also arrests Tala police station's officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondal in same case.
The protesting doctors ended up agreeing to a closed-door meeting with the CM on September 16 and resume work henceforth.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal was removed after CM's meeting with agitating medics, IPS officer Manoj Kumar Verma appointed in his place on September 17.
Director of Health Services (DHS) Debashis Halder, Director of Medical Education (DME) Kaustav Nayak and and Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police's North Division Abhishek Gupta also removed.
Junior doctors announce withdrawal of the protests on September 19.
October, 2024
The West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front began a fast-unto-death protest at Esplanade on October 6, 2024, urging the government to fulfill their remaining demands and ensure justice for their deceased colleague.
On October 7, 2024, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Sanjoy Roy in the Sealdah court.
Eventually, another meeting was held between the junior doctors and CM Banerjee on October 21, 2024, at the state secretariat, Nabanna and the 17-day fast was ended.
November-December 2024
The in-camera trial began at the Sealdah court on November 12, 2024. On November 29, 2024, the CBI filed a 125-page chargesheet in a financial irregularities case, naming Sandip Ghosh as an accused.
In a separate case related to evidence tampering and the delay in filing the FIR, both Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal were granted bail after the CBI failed to file a chargesheet against them within the mandatory 90-day period on December 13, 2024.
January 2025
The trial of the case ended at Sealdah court on January 9.
On January 18, the court held Sanjay Roy guilty under Sections 64 (rape), 66 (punishment for causing death), and 103(1) (murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Two days later, the court announced that Sanjay Roy is sentences to life imprisonment till death. It also directed state to pay compensation of Rs 17 lakh to family of deceased doctor.
The parents of the victim refused to accept any compensation and claimed that the probe was conducted half-heartedly. They remained convinced that Roy did not act alone and there may be a cover up of the incident.
Victim's mother told PTI, "We are shocked. How is this not the rarest of rare cases? An on-duty doctor was raped and murdered. We are dismayed. There was a larger conspiracy behind this crime."
February, 2025
The CBI on February 24 submitted a status report before a city court on its probe into the rape-murder case at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, in which one person has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment till death.
The CBI challenged the Calcutta HC order saying that the case was indeed a 'rarest of rare' incident in which death penalty would be an appropriate punishment for Roy.
Former principal of RG Kar hospital, Sandip Ghosh, remained behind the bars for the alleged case of financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, despite being granted bail in December for the rape and murder case.
2025
Mother of the victim expressed that she and her husband would like to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek justice for their daughter.
The parents received her death certificate from West Bengal Health Secretary NS Nigam on March 20, 2025.
The Calcutta High Court on March 28 directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit the case diary initially prepared by the Kolkata Police in the case.
In July, 2025, a city court rejected a petition by the parents of the victim to allow their lawyer to visit the scene of crime.
Parents of the victim met CBI Director Praveen Sood few times this year to express their dissatisfaction with the agency's probe in the rape and murder of their daughter.
