'Will our daughter get justice?': R G Kar victim's parents wait in pain year after rape-murder

'We have lost all faith in the police and the CBI. For reasons best known to them, the CBI appears compromised, either politically or otherwise. They are just parroting what the Kolkata Police had said,' her father said.

Kolkata: Nearly a year after a young woman doctor was raped and murdered inside a locked seminar room at Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College, her grieving parents, whose wounds have only deepened with time, await justice.

Her father said that their only hope is in the judiciary now.

"We have lost all faith in the police and the CBI. For reasons best known to them, the CBI appears compromised, either politically or otherwise. They are just parroting what the Kolkata Police had said," her father told PTI.

On August 9 last year, the 26-year-old postgraduate trainee's body was discovered inside the Chest Medicine Department's seminar hall on the fourth floor of the hospital's emergency building. The nature of her injuries, which indicated brutality, and the fact that it happened within a state-run hospital, sent shock waves across West Bengal and beyond.

Widespread protests erupted across campuses, drawing students, doctors, and civil society to the streets. But a year later, the family says, justice remains elusive.

"It wasn't just a murder... it was a message that even the brightest women aren't safe, not even inside a hospital," the woman's father said.

A civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy, was arrested and sentenced to life for rape and murder. But the victim's family and several rights activists insist the case is far from closed.

"From day one, we have said there was more than one person. She was a strong girl. There is no way only one man could have done this inside such a secure building. All the early cover-ups point to a bigger nexus," her mother said.

Her father alleged that attempts were made to destroy evidence.

"There were three bodies at the crematorium that day. Yet our daughter's body was cremated first. Why the hurry? Steps were taken to wipe out evidence," he alleged.

Two other arrests followed -- Sandip Ghosh, the then principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, and Abhijit Mondal, former officer-in-charge of Tala police station, on charges of misleading the probe.

But Mondal was released on bail after the CBI failed to file a charge sheet within 90 days.

"We were foolish to trust the CBI... they repeated what the Kolkata Police fed them. No new names, no new arrests, no answers," the woman's father said bitterly.

"That alone tells you how seriously the CBI is taking this... they couldn't even file the charge sheet on time. Now they claim they are probing a 'larger conspiracy'. But we doubt they will ever file a supplementary charge sheet," he said.

The family also points to the Supreme Court's observation, which raised questions about the handling of the case.

"Those questions still remain unanswered... all they (CBI) say is, 'investigation is ongoing'. That's not enough," he said.

His wife added, "We are ordinary people, but not fools. Our daughter was raped and murdered in a room that's supposed to be locked inside a government hospital. How does that happen without protection from powerful people?" "What we got wasn't justice, it was a charade, it was a mockery of justice," father said.

What pains the parents more than the crime is the slow erosion of truth.

"They say they are probing a larger conspiracy. But what conspiracy takes a whole year to even file a supplementary charge sheet?" the father asked.

"They will drag this for ten, twenty years, until we are dead and gone. That's their strategy. Exhaust the parents. Exhaust the people who are seeking justice," he said.

Lashing out at the ruling Trinamool Congress, he cited the recent Kasba Law College gang rape case.

"All three arrested have links with the ruling party. Incidents like these are happening again and again. Even after the outcry over my daughter's death, nothing has changed. That tells you how little this government cares. The accused must be severely punished," he said.

"What makes our tragedy unbearable is that my daughter wanted to serve the poor. Her dreams now lie locked inside a wooden trunk, her stethoscope, half-written thesis notes, and medals from the medical school," he said.

"She wanted to open a clinic for the poor people... she just wanted to heal others," the victim's father said.

"We lost our only daughter. She was all we had... now we just want justice before we die. But we'll keep fighting till the end," he said.

The street protests that once shook the city have dwindled. Social media has moved on. Even political leaders who had once marched with candles and posters have fallen silent.

"The state used our daughter's death like a talking point," the father said.

"Now, as the cameras have gone, so have they. But people from all walks of life stood with us. And the people's movement will rise again," he said.

Two public events are scheduled on August 9 to mark the first anniversary of the incident. Protesters are expected to march to Kalighat area, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee resides.

'Abhaya Mancha', a forum formed in the wake of the incident, will observe Raksha Bandhan that day. On August 14, it plans a 'Reclaim the Night' march across Kolkata and the suburbs from 9 pm to midnight.

When asked what justice would mean to them, he said, "Justice means truth, naming everyone who was involved directly or indirectly. It means jail, not bail. And restoring the dignity they tried so hard to erase... I do not seek revenge. I ask for the truth before I die." "Our only hope is the judiciary... we are confident it won't let us down," he added.