The bloodied body of a female doctor was found in a classroom at a state-run university and hospital in Kolkata last August.
A police volunteer has been convicted of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at an Indian hospital, sparking nationwide protests last year.
The Sealdah Civil and Criminal Court found Sanjay Roy, 33, guilty of the rape and murder of the student, whose bloodied body was found in a classroom at the RG Kar state medical college and hospital in Kolkata last August. with the case that exposes the country's fight against sexual violence against women.
Judge Anirban Das, who presided over the fast-track trial, said the accused, who protested his innocence in court and insists he was framed, could face life in prison or the death penalty when he is sentenced on Monday.
“Your guilt is proven. “He is being sentenced,” the judge announced, stating that the charges had been proven by circumstantial evidence.
Roy's lawyers, who have not yet commented on the verdict, argue that there were obvious discrepancies in the investigation and forensic examination reports at the trial, which began on November 11 and in which 51 witnesses were questioned.
The parents of the 31-year-old victim, who cannot be named under Indian law, expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation and said the crime could not have been committed by a single person.
“Our daughter could not have met such a horrible end at the hands of one man,” her father said. “We will continue to suffer pain and agony until all culprits are punished. “My daughter’s soul will not rest in peace until she gets justice.”
Seeking justice
More than 200 armed police were deployed in anticipation of the verdict.
As Roy was taken to court in a police car, protesters chanted: “Hang him, hang him.”
Several doctors chanted slogans of solidarity with the victim.
Dr Aniket Mahato, a spokesperson for the young doctors, said street protests would continue “until justice is done”.
The gruesome nature of the attack sparked weeks of protests across the country, drawing comparisons to the 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in the capital, New Delhi. This led to doctors in government hospitals demanding additional security.
India's Supreme Court created a national task force after the protests that suggested ways to improve safety measures at government hospitals.
India's federal police, which investigated the case, also accused the officer running the local police station at the time of the crime and the then head of the hospital with destroying the crime scene and tampering with evidence.
The police officer is out on bail, while the former hospital director remains in custody in connection with another case of financial irregularities at the hospital.
