Police volunteer convicted of rape, murder of trainee doctor in India [Video]

An Indian court on Saturday found a police volunteer guilty for the rape and murder of a trainee doctor, a crime that sparked countrywide protests and hospital strikes last year amid renewed concerns over lack of safety for women.

The killing of the 31-year-old physician while she was on duty at a hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata last August highlighted once again the chronic issue of violence against women in the country. The trial in the case was fast-tracked through India’s notoriously sluggish legal system and arguments began in November.

Judge Anirban Das said the sentence for Sanjay Roy, 33, will be announced on Monday and could range from life imprisonment to the death penalty.

Police discovered the bloodied body of the woman at the city’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital’s seminar hall on Aug. 9. An autopsy later found the victim had been strangled and confirmed …