On January 18, 2025, Sanjoy Roy, a former civic police volunteer, was convicted by a Sealdah sessions court for the brutal rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The case, which sent shockwaves through Kolkata and beyond, garnered widespread media attention and sparked intense protests. As the judicial process concluded with the verdict, the accused’s family found themselves caught in the crossfire of public outrage, personal grief, and a harsh legal reckoning.
In an emotional statement given to the press outside her residence, Malati Roy, the 70-year-old mother of the convicted man, expressed a sense of reluctant acceptance of the court’s judgment. Despite the overwhelming pain of her son’s conviction, she emphasized that if the law had truly determined her son’s guilt, she would not stand in the way of justice, even if it led to the harshest punishment—capital punishment.
“I will cry alone, but I will accept it as destiny,” Malati Roy said, standing outside her modest home on Shambhunath Pandit Street, a mere 5 kilometers from Sealdah Court. Her comments echoed a sense of quiet resignation, underscored by her personal anguish as a mother, and her deep empathy for the victim’s grieving family.
The Crime: A Brutal Act of Violence
The victim, a 27-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor, was employed at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Known in the media as ‘Abhaya’, she had been working a late shift on the night of August 8, 2023. The chilling details of her rape and subsequent murder were uncovered the following morning, sparking widespread outrage among medical professionals, students, and the general public.
The police launched an intensive investigation, leading to the arrest of Sanjoy Roy, a 33-year-old former civic volunteer. Roy, who had a history of alcohol abuse and petty offenses, was accused of attacking the victim inside the hospital premises, where she had been alone late at night. Following the rape, the victim was strangled to death, and her body was discovered the next morning in an abandoned part of the hospital complex.
The murder shook the medical community, particularly the hospital where the victim had worked. RG Kar Medical College, one of the largest state-run hospitals in Kolkata, became the focal point of the ensuing public outcry. Doctors, nurses, and students organized protests demanding justice, and questions were raised regarding the safety protocols within medical institutions, especially for female employees working late-night shifts.
The Court’s Verdict: A Landmark Judgment
The Sealdah sessions court, in a 160-page judgment handed down on January 18, 2025, convicted Sanjoy Roy on charges of rape, murder, and causing death through unlawful means. Judge Anirban Das, who presided over the case, did not mince words in his judgment. He criticized the actions of the police and hospital authorities, highlighting systemic flaws that had initially hindered the investigation.
The court noted that hospital staff and senior officials, including the Head of Department, MSVP (Medical Superintendent and Vice Principal), and the Principal, had acted with negligence during the investigation, causing confusion and delays. These missteps were deemed a critical hindrance in the early stages of the probe. The judgment also raised serious concerns about the lack of safety protocols at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, particularly in light of the fact that the victim had been working alone at the time of the incident.
A Mother’s Grief: Malati Roy’s Words
For Malati Roy, the aftermath of the verdict has been an overwhelming emotional journey. Initially reluctant to speak to the media, she eventually found the strength to address reporters outside her home. “As a mother of three daughters, I deeply empathize with the grief of the victim’s family,” she said, her voice heavy with emotion.
Roy’s words conveyed a profound sense of sorrow and conflict. On the one hand, she expressed the pain of accepting her son’s conviction; on the other, she acknowledged the duty of the court to deliver justice according to the law. “If the court decides to hang him, I have no objection,” Malati Roy continued, referencing the possibility of the death penalty. “His crime has been proven in the eyes of the law.”
Her statement represents a deeply complex, but not uncommon, emotional reaction from a parent facing the painful reality of their child’s criminal actions. It is one thing for a mother to defend her child in the face of accusations, but it is another to come to terms with the fact that the child she raised may be guilty of such heinous crimes. Malati Roy’s remarks, while accepting of the court’s verdict, also reflect the unique sorrow of a mother who must reconcile love for her son with the overwhelming sense of loss and betrayal experienced by the victim’s family.
The Family’s Response: A Shared Sense of Tragedy
While Malati Roy expressed acceptance, her son’s elder sister, who lives nearby, echoed similar sentiments. “We don’t plan to challenge the verdict,” she told reporters, reinforcing the family’s decision not to appeal the judgment. Despite acknowledging Sanjoy’s drinking problem in later years, she remembered him as a “normal child” and stated that she never heard of him misbehaving with any woman prior to this incident.
However, she also cast doubt on the exact circumstances of the crime. Referring to media reports, the sister suggested that Sanjoy may not have been alone at the scene of the crime. She called for a more thorough investigation to uncover any other potential involvement in the tragic incident.
The Roy family, while grappling with the stigma brought upon them by the crime, has called for a fair investigation into the case. “Since his arrest, we’ve faced stigma from neighbors and relatives,” the sister added, “I hope this clears the air.” Her words underline the collateral damage to families of criminals who find themselves ostracized from their communities, struggling not just with grief, but with shame.
Public and Legal Reactions
The case has continued to spark intense debate among both the public and legal circles. Many have focused on the brutal nature of the crime and the failure of various institutions to prevent it. As Malati Roy noted, the victim’s family will never fully heal, but she also pointed out that she could not change the outcome of the trial.
Some activists have raised concerns over the safety of medical professionals working in hospitals, particularly at night, demanding better security measures and institutional reforms. The tragedy has also revived discussions about the importance of vigilant police work, swift investigations, and the implementation of robust safety protocols at healthcare institutions.
A Bitter Reality
At its core, this case reflects the complexities and contradictions of human nature—both in the actions of the criminal and the reactions of the family left to grapple with the consequences. For Malati Roy and her family, the pain of losing a son to such horrific acts is magnified by the public judgment and the harsh legal consequences. Meanwhile, the victim’s family is left to navigate their own grief, knowing that no verdict can undo the loss they have suffered.
As Kolkata reflects on this deeply tragic and complex case, one thing remains certain: justice, though painful and difficult, must always be served, no matter the cost to those involved. The court’s verdict has marked the conclusion of this chapter, but the impact of this tragedy will resonate far beyond the legal proceedings.
