India police volunteer convicted of rape, murder of junior doctor in Kolkata

KOLKATA, India, Jan 18 (Reuters) - An Indian police volunteer was convicted on Saturday of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at a hospital in the eastern city Kolkata, in the speedy trial of a crime that sparked national outrage over a lack of safety for women.

The woman's body was found in a classroom at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on Aug. 9. Other doctors stayed off work for weeks to demand justice for her and better security at public hospitals.

Defendant Sanjay Roy said in November he was "completely innocent" and was being framed. He reiterated this in court on Saturday, saying, "I have not done this."

Roy's lawyers could not immediately be reached for comment on the verdict. They had argued there were glaring discrepancies in the investigation and forensic examination reports.

Judge Anirban Das said circumstantial evidence had proved the charges against Roy and that the sentence, to be announced o...
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