A court in India has sentenced a police volunteer to life in prison for the rape and killing of a trainee doctor last year. Sanjay Roy, 33, was found guilty of the crime despite maintaining his innocence. The case drew widespread attention due to its impact on national protests over inadequate safety for women.
The murder of the 31-year-old physician, who was working at a hospital in Kolkata, highlighted India’s chronic problem with violence against women. Police discovered her body with signs of strangulation and sexual assault, leading federal investigators to seek the death penalty.
Parents of the victim had also called for the death penalty, suspecting others may have been involved in the crime. The initial investigation was led by local police, but the court later handed over the probe to federal investigators after concerns about mishandling.
The case sparked protests across India, with thousands of women demanding swift justice and better security measures. Doctors and medical students also participated, leading the government to establish a national task force to suggest ways to enhance safety in hospitals.
However, many cases against women go unreported due to stigma surrounding sexual violence and lack of faith in the police. Women’s rights activists argue that the issue is particularly acute in rural areas, where communities can shame victims of sexual assault and families fear social repercussions.
The case echoes India’s 2012 gang rape on a bus, which led to protests, harsher penalties, and the creation of fast-track courts for rape cases. However, activists say new sentencing requirements have not deterred rapes, with the number of reported cases increasing in recent years.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/india-rape-kolkata-trainee-doctor-killing-7be157029ab2a40a310ea9a5c4a593d7