Two days after Kolkata’s top cop denied any attempt to cover-up the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray called for the police commissioner’s “custodial interrogation” by the CBI. He demanded the same for the medical institution’s former principal, Dr Sandip Ghosh.
Ray said the CBI, which has taken over the investigation into the case, must be fair and scrutinise key aspects of the case: why the hospital authorities first called the 31-year-old doctor’s death a suicide; why the wall of the seminar hall, where the body was found, was demolished; and who patronised the main accused, civic police volunteer Sanjay Roy among others.
“CBI must act fairly. Custodial interrogation of Ex Principal and Police Commissioner is a must to know who and why floated suicide story.Why wall of hall demolished, who patronised Roy to be so powerful, Why sniffer dog used after 3 days.100s of such questions. Make them speak,” he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
CBI must act fairly . Custodial interrogation of Ex Principal and Police Commissioner is a must to know who and why floated suicide story.Why wall of hall demolished, who patronised Roy to be so powerful, Why sniffer dog used after 3 days.100s of such questions. Make them speak— Sukhendu Sekhar Ray (@Sukhendusekhar) August 17, 2024
This comes after Ray’s letter to Union home minister Amit Shah on August 16, demanding enactment of a stringent central law to prevent atrocities against women. Saying he too has a daughter and a granddaughter, he sat on a dharna on August 14 in solidarity with the midnight protests.
In his letter to Shah, he has said a stringent central Act is imperative to ensure safety of women in public and private places, including hospitals, educational institutions, asylums, shopping malls, public transport, trams, government-semi government, private workplaces and other establishments.
“Any complaint for incidents of sexual harassment, rape, rape with murder shall be statutorily recorded immediately after the incident and must be immediately reported to the nearest police station failing which the police officer concerned/other authorities must be suspended immediately,” the senior TMC MP and lawyer said in the letter.
Ray has denied any attempt to sabotage the doctors’ agitation across medical institutions and said his personal views have nothing to do with his political affiliation.
On facing the heat from several quarters, Goyal has defended the initial probe by Kolkata Police in the case and urged people to have faith in the CBI. “We will be held liable if we did anything wrong. Let the CBI come to a conclusion. Stop rumour-mongering,” he said, adding that a “relentless campaign” has been launched against the force under him.
“Now another agency has taken up the probe. Have trust in them. If we (police) have done anything wrong or deliberately shielded or destroyed any evidence then we are liable,” he said. “Why are people so impatient? Why is rumour-mongering still going on?” he asked.
The police commissioner’s statements came after the BJP led a full-blown attack on him. The party alleged that it is likely that the Kolkata Police has played a part in destroying evidence in the case, under the “instructions” of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
“It is quite likely that the Kolkata Police, on instructions of Mamata Banerjee, has already wiped out evidences in the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital rape and murder case. Initial handling by the Kolkata Police doesn’t inspire much confidence either,” BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya wrote in a post on X.
But, Malviya’s allegations were not in isolation as there has been mounting criticism of the police in how it handled the case, before the Calcutta High Court — citing lapses in the police investigation — transferred the case to the CBI on August 13. Protesting junior doctors and medical students at RG Kar hospital have also raised concerns about “destruction of evidence” and more than one person being involved in the crime.
The political blame game in the case has reached a crescendo, especially after the vandalism at the hospital premises during the midnight protests on Thursday (August 15). Opposition parties accused the ruling TMC of sending “goons” into the ‘Reclaim the Night’ rally to destroy whatever more evidence at the site, while the chief minister blamed the BJP and CPI(M) of being involved in the violence unleashed at the protests.
‘Certain answers convoluted’: CBI on former RG Kar principal’s questioning
Dr Ghosh, meanwhile, was questioned for several hours by the CBI for the second consecutive day on Saturday (August 17). In the latest round, he was quizzed about his whereabouts on the night of the death of the postgraduate trainee, who called him to inform about the incident, and his primary reaction to it, the officials said.
According to officials, the CBI sleuths also corroborated his version with that of doctors, interns and nurses on duty at the hospital that night. During the initial round of interrogation, he was asked about his first reaction after getting the news of the doctor’s death, whom he instructed to inform the family and how and who contacted the police, they said.
“Certain answers were convoluted. He was grilled till early Saturday and then allowed to leave for home before he was asked to appear again,” a CBI officer told PTI.
Ghosh had resigned from the post two days after the trainee doctor’s body was discovered on August 9. The CBI team also enquired about the weekly roster of the chest medicine department where the victim was seen to be put on duty for a gruelling 36 hours at a stretch or, at times, even 48 hours, the officer said.
The central agency has prepared a list of around 40 people, including doctors and police officers, whom they will be questioning as part of its investigation, the officer said, adding, they have already quizzed over 20 people so far.
