Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: Who Is Kabita Sarkar, Lawyer Defending Accused Sanjay Roy?

A 52-year-old lawyer, Kabita Sarkar, with a career spanning 25 years, has taken on one of the most intriguing cases by defending the accused Sanjoy Roy in the gut-wrenching RG Kar rape-murder case.

Appointed by the Sealdah court, Sarkar stepped up to represent Roy after no other lawyer would accept the case.

Who is she?

Kabita Sarkar graduated in law from Hooghly Mohsin College and began her legal career at the Alipore court, initially focusing on civil cases.

In February 2023, she transitioned to criminal law, becoming a SALSA (State Legal Services Authority) lawyer, and later moved to the Sealdah court in June 2023.

Reason for Taking the Case

Sarkar says, "Every individual, including the accused, deserves a fair trial."

Recognising the complexity and sensitivity of the case, she has requested her senior, Sourav Banerjee, to accompany her during the proceedings.

Views on punishment

Sarkar opposes capital punishment and advocates for life imprisonment as the maximum penalty. She believes that offenders should be allowed the opportunity to reflect on their crimes and strongly upholds the principle of "innocent until proven guilty."

Case Details

The RG Kar rape-murder case pertains to the brutal assault and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College on August 9, 2024.

The victim was found in a semi-nude state, and Sanjoy Roy, a hospital staffer, is the alleged suspect. The CBI is conducting an intensive investigation, with autopsy results revealing shocking details about the crime.

While Roy's presence at the crime scene has been corroborated by technical and scientific evidence, the results of DNA tests have yet to be disclosed.

Roy's Psychoanalytic profile

The CBI's psychoanalytic profile of Sanjoy Roy describes him as a "sexual pervert with animal instincts."

During probing, Roy displayed an emotionally detached demeanor as he recounted the events at the crime scene.

His statements were meticulously evaluated against postmortem and forensic evidence to build the case against him.