Investigations are underway into the rape-murder case at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. A senior police officer on Monday refuted allegations that people, including police and hospital officials, entered the seminar hall minutes after the trainee doctor’s body was found. A video that made such a claim went viral on social media. The 43-second video shows doctors, police officials and security guards deployed at the hospital gathering inside where the victim’s body was found. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Speaking to reporters at the Kolkata Police Headquarters, the senior IPS officer said, ‘The seminar hall measures 51×32. The place inside where the victim’s body was found was cordoned off with curtains. So there is no question of anyone entering there. All the people who are shown gathering in the video are outside that cordoned off area.’ It is known that on August 22, this case was heard in the Supreme Court. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the case, told the court that the crime scene was tampered with. But the state government has denied these allegations.
Attempts to hide rape and murder case
The CBI told the SC that there was an attempt to cover up the rape and murder of a trainee doctor as the scene of the crime had changed by the time the federal agency took over the investigation. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared in the court on behalf of the investigating agency, told this to a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud. He said, ‘We started the investigation on the 5th day. Before that, whatever was collected by the local police was given to us. The investigation is a challenge in itself as the scene of the crime was changed. The FIR was registered at 11:45 pm after the cremation of the victim.’
The deceased’s colleagues insisted on videography
The Supreme Court was told, ‘First of all, the Deputy Superintendent of the hospital told the victim’s parents that she was not well. When they reached the hospital, they were told that she had committed suicide. The deceased’s colleagues insisted on videography. This shows that they suspected a cover-up of the case.’ The Solicitor General said that when the Tala police station was called on the morning of August 9, the doctors told the police that the victim was unconscious, although she had already died. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared in the court on behalf of the West Bengal government. He opposed Mehta’s arguments and said that everything was videographed. Nothing was changed at the crime scene.
(With agency input)