Dr. Moumita Debnath: Kolkata Rape and Murder Case

Twelve years after the harrowing Nirbhaya gang rape and murder shook the nation’s conscience, India faces yet another horrific crime, this time involving the brutal murder of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College. In a chilling reminder of ongoing threats to women’s safety, the doctor was found dead in a seminar room where she had gone to rest. The post-mortem confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted before being subjected to a violent murder, with her body showing multiple injuries that point to extreme brutality. 

The accused, Sanjay Roy, a civic police volunteer with access to the hospital, was arrested shortly after the incident, based on CCTV footage that placed him at the scene of the crime. This case has once again highlighted the systemic failures in protecting women, even in environments that are expected to be safe, such as professional spaces like hospitals. Despite the sweeping reforms and legal changes implemented after the Nirbhaya case, including more stringent penalties for sexual violence, including the death penalty for rape, the continuing recurrence of such heinous crimes underscores a disturbing gap between policy and its implementation.

The case has stirred widespread outrage across the country, with protests erupting both locally and nationally. Medical professionals, particularly junior doctors and students, have expressed their anger over the lack of security within hospital premises, demanding swift justice for the victim. Many have pointed to this case as a painful reminder that women, regardless of their status or environment, are still vulnerable to violent attacks, even after years of public awareness campaigns and legal reforms.

In response to public outcry, the case was brought before the Calcutta High Court, which has now ordered the transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a deeper and more impartial probe. The involvement of the CBI reflects both the complexity of the case and the increasing demand for transparency and accountability in how such cases are handled.

This incident draws inevitable comparisons to the 2012 gang rape and murder of Jyoti Singh, famously known as Nirbhaya, which sparked a global outcry over the treatment of women in India. The Nirbhaya case had ignited nationwide protests, placing women’s safety at the forefront of public discourse and prompting the government to introduce sweeping reforms to address sexual violence. Laws were tightened, fast-track courts were established, and punishments for rape were made harsher, including the introduction of capital punishment for the most egregious offenses.

However, twelve years later, this latest tragedy reveals that while laws may have changed on paper, the lived reality for women in India remains fraught with danger. It raises critical questions about the efficacy of legal reforms if they are not matched by structural changes in the policing and protection of women in everyday spaces. As this case moves forward under the CBI’s investigation, the country is left grappling with the unsettling truth that, despite the promises made in the aftermath of Nirbhaya, much more remains to be done to ensure that women in India can live and work without fear of violence.