Moumita Debnath (Kolkata Rape-Murder Case)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Moumita Debnath

• Moumita Debnath hailed from Sodepur, West Bengal.

• She was a bright student and scored 90% marks in 10th grade and 89% marks in higher secondary.

• Moumita passed both the JEE and medical entrance exams but chose to study MBBS at the College of Medicine & JNM Hospital in Kalyani, Nadia.

• She was a trainee doctor in the Chest Medicine Department at the R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. She was also pursuing a PhD.

• On the morning of 9 August 2024, Moumita was reported missing by her colleagues. She was last seen heading to a seminar hall in the R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital premises to rest after a long shift.

• Moumita was later discovered dead in a semi-nude state with her eyes, mouth and genitals bleeding. Later, the hospital staff first called her parents and informed them that she was sick. When her parents called back, they were told that she had committed suicide. When her parents reached the hospital, they were not allowed to see her body for three years.

• The post-marten report later revealed that she was raped and strangled to death. The four-page report also included details about wounds on her genital tract, lips, left leg, right hand, ring finger, neck, and face. The 150 mg of semen found in her vagina led to suspicion that she was subjected to gang rape.

• There were also suspicions that Moumita might have known about some secret or possible illegal activity at the hospital, which could have been a motive for her murder.

• Moumita’s case rapidly led to nationwide outrage. The medical community, along with student unions and her colleagues, called for justice and stronger security measures on campus.

• The college principal Dr. Sandip Ghosh was criticised for failing to ensure better security on campus. He resigned and said he could not handle the ongoing criticism from social media and politicians. However, his quick appointment as principal of Calcutta National Medical College sparked further criticism.

  

• On 10 August 2024, a seven-member Special Investigating Team (SIT), which was formed to investigate the case, arrested Sanjay Roy aka Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer at Kolkata Police’s Disaster Management Group who had already faced many allegations including extortion, intimidation, and threats against women.

  

• Roy’s involvement in Moumita’s death was uncovered when a torn earphone was found in the seminar room where her body was discovered. CCTV footage showed him entering the emergency building at 4 am wearing a Bluetooth device around his neck. When he left 40 minutes later, the earphones were missing. Those earphones were later found to be paired with his cell phone.

• On 13 August 2024, the Calcutta High Court transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as the court was unsatisfied with how the police were handling the case. The court also worried that the evidence could be lost if state police kept investigating.

• The outrage sparked protests across India. On 13 August, emergency services were suspended in nearly all government hospitals in Kolkata. More than 8,000 doctors in Maharashtra stopped all services except for emergencies, and in New Delhi, junior doctors held protests outside key government hospitals.

  

• On 14 August, protests under the banner ‘Women, Reclaim the Night’ were held in Kolkata and other cities in India. These protests were focused on advocating for women’s freedom and safety at night.

• On 15 August, protestors broke into R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital and caused damage. In response, police deployed tear gas and used batons to control the crowd. The violence resulted in injuries to several people and 19 protestors were arrested.

  

• The rape and murder case drew international attention and led to protests in countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States.

• Moumita was an avid animal lover. She took care of the strays by feeding and rescuing them.

• She was also very passionate about gardening.

• In October 2024, the junior doctors at the R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital erected a statue of her in her remembrance.