India: Man accused of raping and murdering doctor - News

Indian police charged a man on Monday with the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor, a crime that dismayed the country and sparked widespread protests.

The discovery of the doctor’s bloodied body at a government hospital in the eastern city of Calcutta on August 9 sparked national anger over the chronic problem of violence against women.

The suspect, named Sanjoy Roy, arrested the day after the murder and detained since, was formally charged on Monday with a confidential evidence document submitted to the court.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp channels.

“Sanjoy Roy has been accused of raping and murdering the junior doctor on duty inside the hospital,” a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official told AFP.

Roy, widely reported by Indian media to be 33 years old and who worked as a volunteer at the hospital treating patients, would potentially face the death penalty if convicted.

Doctors in Calcutta went on strike for weeks in response to this brutal attack.

Tens of thousands of ordinary Indians joined the protests, which focused their anger on the lack of measures allowing female doctors to work without fear.

While most doctors have returned to work, a small group began a hunger strike this month.

Doctors say the West Bengal state government has failed to deliver on promises to improve lighting, security cameras and other measures to protect them.

India’s Supreme Court last month ordered a national task force to examine ways to strengthen the safety of healthcare workers, saying the brutality of the killing had “shocked the conscience of the nation.”

The horrific nature of the attack drew comparisons to the gang rape and murder of a young woman on a Delhi bus in 2012, which also sparked weeks of nationwide protests.