Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer and the prime suspect in the brutal rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, has a disturbing history of violence against women. Media reports revealed that Kolkata police discovered pornographic content on his mobile phone, while his neighbors recounted his history of abusive behavior and multiple failed marriages. He had been married four times, with three of his wives leaving him due to his alleged abuse, and his fourth wife passing away last year from cancer. Neighbors further reported that he often returned home late at night in a drunken state.
Roy’s association with the Kolkata Police, where he joined as a volunteer in the disaster management group in 2019, provided him with access to various hospital departments. He was later transferred to the police welfare cell and eventually moved to the police outpost at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. This access stemmed from his role as a civic volunteer within the police welfare board.
One of Roy’s mother-in-laws accused him of a long history of violence against women, claiming that he concealed his previous marriages to marry her daughter. She even filed a police complaint against him for physical abuse and torture. Additionally, she alleged that he defrauded several individuals by promising them jobs with the Kolkata Police, taking substantial sums of money in the process.
Some media reports also linked Roy to a hospital racket that targeted relatives of patients, demanding payments for admission. He allegedly charged families for securing beds at nearby nursing homes if they were unable to obtain one at the government hospital. However, Roy’s mother refuted these allegations, vehemently declaring her son’s innocence. She claimed that he was falsely accused and coerced into confessing under police pressure. “My son is innocent. He has confessed to the crime under the pressure of police,” she told India Today TV.
Amidst the escalating controversy, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her government would hand over the investigation to the CBI if the police failed to solve the case by Sunday. She also expressed her desire for a fast-track trial. “I want the police to arrest the culprits as soon as possible. If they are not able to crack the case by Sunday, we will hand it over to the CBI. I don’t have an issue with the central agency taking over, but its success rate is low,” Banerjee told reporters after visiting the residence of the deceased doctor.
The discovery of the semi-nude body of the woman post-graduate trainee doctor inside the seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Friday morning sent shockwaves through the city. She had been brutally murdered, with multiple injury marks on her body. The preliminary autopsy report indicated that she had been sexually assaulted before her murder. The arrest of a civic volunteer on Saturday in connection with the case brought the investigation to a crucial juncture.
