After 7 months of waiting, RG Kar rape-murder victim’s parents receive death certificate

Seven months after the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, her parents finally received her death certificate on Wednesday. West Bengal Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam, accompanied by senior hospital officials, visited their residence in the evening to hand over the original document. A digital link for future access was also provided.

The victim’s father said they had been demanding the certificate since August 9, the day of the incident, but faced repeated delays. “We have been struggling to obtain it. We sent an email in January and, even after that, had to go from one department to another, but no one cooperated,” he alleged. The family had reportedly visited multiple offices, including Swasthya Bhavan, RG Kar hospital, and the borough office, in an attempt to get the document.

According to health department officials, confusion over the issuance process caused the delay. Death certificates are generally issued either by the hospital where a person was under treatment or by the local civic body if the person was brought dead. However, in this case, the victim was neither admitted nor brought dead, leading to uncertainty. On Wednesday, a decision was made to empower RG Kar Medical College to issue the certificate.

The 31-year-old trainee doctor was found dead in a seminar hall inside the hospital’s emergency building on August 9, triggering widespread protests. Police arrested civic volunteer Sanjoy Roy, who was later convicted of rape and murder. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case, and a Kolkata court sentenced Roy to life imprisonment till death.

The victim’s parents had approached the Supreme Court seeking a reinvestigation, but the plea was dismissed with directions to move the Calcutta High Court. While the death certificate has now been handed over, the family had earlier expressed frustration over the delays and the need to repeatedly follow up with authorities.