"I am being framed to shield the real culprits."
The rape and murder of a medic in Kolkata shook the entire world.
In August 2024, 31-year-old Moumita Debnath was discovered with several injuries.
There were also clear signs that she had been sexually assaulted.
After a long shift, Moumita had fallen asleep and was raped and killed.
The shocking incident led to outrage in India and many protests against violence against women.
Other medics took industrial action as they participated in strikes that demanded justice.
On Monday, November 11, 2024, the trial of the suspect named in the Kolkata case began.
The man is named Sanjoy Roy, and he is apparently a volunteer member of the Kolkata Police Force.
Reports stated that he was married to Moumita.
If convicted at trial, Roy could face life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Roy has claimed that he is being framed. According to reports, he shouted about his innocence from the inside of a police van.
The suspect reportedly said: “I have been silent so far. But I did not commit the rape and murder.
“I am being intimidated by the government and my own department. They have asked me not to say a word.
“But I am not guilty – I am being framed to shield the real culprits.”
In August 2024, Moumita’s mother, Durga Devi, alleged that Roy had caused her daughter to have a miscarriage during their relationship.
She said: “My relations with him were very tense. Initially, everything was good for six months.
When she was three months pregnant, he caused a miscarriage.
“He thrashed her, and a police complaint was registered for the same.
“Following this, my daughter continued being ill, I bore all her expenses for medicines.
“Sanjoy was not a good person. Hang him or do whatever you want with him.
“I won’t comment on the crime itself, but he couldn’t have done it alone.”
At the time of the murder, it was suggested that Moumita may have resisted the assault, which resulted in more brutal torture upon her.
The nationwide protests demanded safer workplaces. An average of 90 rapes were reported per day in India in 2022.
During the trial, approximately 128 witnesses are expected to take the stand, with daily hearings taking place.
The trial will not be accessible to the public.
India’s Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) has also arrested a police officer and the superintendent of the Kolkata hospital where the incident took place.
This was on suspicion of tampering with evidence and financial irregularities.
Moumita’s rape and murder mirrored the protests that took place in 2012.
The 2012 protests were following a young woman who died after being gang-raped by a group of men on a bus in New Delhi.
Jyoti Singh, aged 22, was assaulted by six men. On March 20, 2020, four of them were executed at Tihar Jail.
One of the accused men passed away in police custody on March 11, 2013.
Celebrities including Mohsin Abbas Haider and Shreya Ghoshal condemned the Kolkata rape case, with Shreya also postponing her scheduled concert in the city.
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