New Delhi, August 23, 2024 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) presented a status report before the Supreme Court on Thursday, revealing significant developments in the ongoing investigation into the alleged rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The incident, which occurred on August 9, has sparked widespread outrage and raised serious questions about the handling of the case by the West Bengal Police.
Key Revelations from the CBI Probe
1. Altered Crime Scene:
The CBI, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, informed the Supreme Court that the crime scene had been tampered with by the time the agency took over the investigation on August 13, five days after the incident. Mehta claimed that the alteration of the crime scene hampered the investigation. However, this assertion was contested by Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the West Bengal government, who argued that the crime scene was fully documented through videography, implying no alterations were made.
2. Initial Misleading by Police:
According to the CBI’s findings, the parents of the deceased were initially misinformed by the police, who told them that their daughter had died by suicide. It was only after the cremation that the police registered the first FIR at 11:45 pm. The solicitor general pointed out that this sequence of events, combined with the insistence of the doctor’s friends for videography, indicated early suspicions of foul play.
3. No Evidence of Gang Rape:
Contrary to earlier speculations, the CBI’s investigation has so far not supported the theory of gang rape. Instead, the probe suggests that Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer who was arrested on August 10, might have been the sole perpetrator. Roy was taken into custody at the hospital premises the day after the crime.
Supreme Court’s Concerns Over Delayed FIR and Postmortem
During Thursday’s hearing, the Supreme Court raised several concerns, particularly regarding the timing of the FIR and the postmortem. The bench expressed surprise over the fact that the postmortem was conducted before the registration of the “unnatural death” (UD) case. Justice Pardiwala questioned the West Bengal government about the apparent procedural anomalies, asking, “If it was not an unnatural death, then what was the need for a postmortem?”
Kapil Sibal responded by clarifying that the UD case was registered at 1:45 pm and that all related documents, including the postmortem report, seizure list, and inquest report, were consistent with this timeline. However, the court remained concerned about the 14-hour delay in lodging the FIR, especially since the parents were reportedly not allowed to see their daughter’s body for three hours after being informed of her death.
The Role of Hospital Authorities
The Supreme Court also questioned the role of Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College, in the aftermath of the incident. The court sought to understand his actions following the alleged crime, as his involvement or lack thereof could be critical in determining institutional accountability.
Ongoing Investigation
As the CBI continues its investigation, the case remains a focal point of public attention and judicial scrutiny. The Supreme Court is expected to closely monitor the progress of the probe, with further hearings anticipated in the coming weeks. The case not only highlights the need for thorough and transparent investigations in cases of sexual violence but also underscores the importance of timely action by law enforcement agencies to ensure justice is served.
