On 9 August 2024, Dr. Moumita Debnath, a second-year postgraduate trainee (PGT) doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College in North Kolkata, was reported missing by colleagues. At about 11:30 am, the trainee doctor’s body was discovered in one of college’s seminar rooms in a semi-nude state with her eyes, mouth and genitals bleeding. She was later declared dead.
An autopsy revealed that the victim had been raped and sexually assaulted before being killed via strangulation. The report, spanning four pages, also noted a deep wound in her genital tract, lips, left leg, right hand, ring finger, neck, and face. The report revealed that the scratch marks on the woman’s face were likely caused by the accused’s fingernails. According to the report, pressure was applied to her mouth and throat, and she was strangled, resulting in a fracture of the thyroid cartilage. The report also noted bleeding from her eyes, mouth, and private parts, with the injuries in her genital area attributed to “perverted sexuality” and “genital torture.” The exact cause of the injuries to her eyes remains undetermined.
The postmortem report also revealed that around 150 mg of semen was found in the vaginal swab. This finding along with the extent of injuries led the doctors and the victim’s parents to believe that this may be a case of gang rape. Kolkata Police rejected such claims as rumors, suggesting that it is impossible to distinguish semen from multiple individuals with the naked eye during an autopsy.
Following an investigation, the police arrested a suspect, Sanjay Roy on 9 August after finding his Bluetooth headset at the crime scene. The suspect is a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police disaster management force and a member of the police welfare association. He is a trained boxer and close to few higher officials at the Kolkata Police. He had been posted at the police outpost near the medical college and would act as a middleman for few patients who were close to him. He had been married four times and has been described as a womaniser and domestic abuser. According to the Kolkata Police, he confessed to the crime. The mother of the accused has defended her son and says he is being framed.
On 13 August 2024, the Calcutta High Court asked the state police to hand over the case to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while expressing discontent with the investigation so far. They also flagged the possibility of destruction of evidence if the state police continued with their investigation.
