The trial to find the guilty in the rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital started at the Sealdah court on Monday afternoon.

Two persons deposed in the court on Day 1 — the victim’s father and a former councillor who accompanied the family to the crematorium on August 9 and allegedly played a role in what the family has called a “hurried cremation” of the doctor’s body.

The in camera trial would continue over the next few days with the deposition of witnesses presented by the prosecution.

The trial started about three months after the crime. The doctor was found dead in a seminar hall on the third floor of the Emergency building of the government medical college early on August 9.

Usually, it takes several months, and sometimes years, for a trial to start. The RG Kar case was fast-tracked so the trial could start early, a CBI officer said.

Sanjay Roy, the lone accused chargesheeted by the CBI so far, was brought to the court during the deposition. He is in judicial custody.

The first witness in the case — the doctor’s father — was escorted to the court from his home, on the northern fringes of the city, by central forces.

Sanjeeb Mukherjee, the former councillor from the victim’s neighbourhood, also deposed in the court.

Two junior doctors, including one whose fingerprints were found at the crime scene, would depose on Tuesday as witnesses, officers said.

The CBI has listed 128 witnesses in the case. They include the victim’s parents,
junior doctors, RG Kar employees and police officers. “All of them will be asked to depose one by one,” said an officer.

The defence lawyers cross-examined the two witnesses on Monday. The cross-examination lasted around three hours 20 minutes. Sources said the process of cross-examination of the witnesses would be completed the same day during this trial.

Senior advocate Vrinda Grover represented the victim’s family and advocate Kabita Sarkar appeared for the accused.

Roy, who was a civic volunteer attached to Kolkata Police, shouted from the prison van while being taken out of the court that he had been framed.

He accused former Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal and “DC, DD” (deputy commissioner, detective department) of framing him.

Asked for a reaction, a senior Kolkata Police officer said on Monday evening: “Kolkata Police have nothing to do with the case. The CBI is the investigating agency.”

CBI officers said Roy had not mentioned any police officer’s name during his stay in their custody or interrogation inside the jail.

“We have done our investigation and presented the case to the court. He (Roy) never mentioned all this (names of officers) in our custody. He can say whatever he wants now,” said an officer of the central agency.

Roy is being tried under sections of rape, murder
and causing death or a persistent vegetative state. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death.

The central agency took over the probe within four days of the rape and murder following an order of the high court. By then Kolkata Police had arrested Roy.

The trial will be held on consecutive days till November 14, after which the judge will announce the next dates for the trial.