February 23, 2025: The parents of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last year have alleged that they have not yet received their daughter’s death certificate from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

Despite the Panihati Municipality issuing a cremation certificate, the parents claim that the official death certificate remains pending. They stated that KMC directed them to the hospital authorities, saying the latter was responsible for issuing it. However, RG Kar officials reportedly told them that KMC should handle the issuance.

Civic health department officials clarified that while KMC generally issues death certificates for both natural and unnatural deaths, the responsibility lies with the civic agency for deaths occurring in government hospitals within its jurisdiction.

The victim’s parents argue that RG Kar officials have insisted that KMC should issue the certificate for all deaths, including "brought-dead" cases. The bureaucratic back-and-forth has left the grieving family without an essential document months after the incident.

The tragic case, which sparked nationwide protests, involved the brutal murder of a 31-year-old doctor whose body was discovered in a semi-naked state in the hospital’s seminar hall on August 9, 2024. The CBI took over the investigation on August 13 and filed a charge sheet against Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer with Kolkata Police. The trial, which began on November 11, concluded in just 59 days. On January 20, Roy was sentenced to life imprisonment till death. The prosecution had sought the death penalty.

With justice served in the court, the victim’s parents now struggle with official procedures, adding to their grief. They have urged authorities to expedite the issuance of the death certificate, bringing an end to their prolonged ordeal.