Utsa Sarmin, TwoCircles.net
Kolkata: The brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College on August 9 has sent shockwaves across the nation. The case, now under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court, has unfolded through a series of disturbing and contradictory events.
August 9
9:30-10:00 a.m.: The victim’s body is discovered by a fellow postgraduate student in the hospital’s seminar room.
10:15-10:45 a.m.: Kolkata police, stationed outside the hospital, arrive at the crime scene. Initially, hospital authorities inform the victim’s parents that she is sick, later shifting to a claim of suicide.
Morning: Postgraduate trainees demand a magistrate’s inquest and video recording of the autopsy, which is initially denied by hospital authorities.
1:00 p.m.: Under mounting pressure, hospital authorities agree to the autopsy.
4:00 p.m.: A magistrate from Sealdah court arrives to oversee the autopsy, seven hours after the body was found. Five female residents and the victim’s family are present.
7:30 p.m.: Despite the wishes of the family and doctors, the hospital and police proceed with the cremation of the victim’s body, raising suspicions of a hasty cover-up.
Subsequent Events
August 10: Widespread protests erupt among the medical community. A forum called the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front is formed, demanding justice for the victim and accountability from the hospital administration. The police arrest a Kolkata Police civic volunteer, 33-year-old Sanjay Roy, in connection with the case, following the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) just six hours earlier.
August 11: Former Principal Sandip Ghosh resigns from his post and is immediately appointed as the principal of the Calcutta National Medical College. This swift transfer incites outrage and protests, with many accusing the government of attempting to shield Ghosh from accountability.
August 13: The Calcutta High Court transfers the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) due to a lack of progress in the Kolkata Police investigation.
August 14: Violent clashes erupt at R.G. Kar as a mob of approximately 7,000 people vandalises the protest site after midnight. Security forces are deployed to disperse the crowd. To maintain law and order, the Kolkata Police imposes Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (formerly Section 144 of the CrPC), restricting gatherings around R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital for seven days, effective from August 18.
August 16: The post-mortem report, accessed by media organizations, reveals horrific details of the crime, including multiple injuries consistent with rape, strangulation and smothering. On the same day, the CBI begins questioning former Principal Ghosh, who has undergone over 30 hours of interrogation in the past four days. The agency is scrutinising his phone records for potential conspiracies related to the crime and investigating the three-hour delay in informing the victim’s family about her death.
August 18: The Supreme Court takes suo motu cognizance of the case, emphasising the gravity of the situation. The CBI conducts a 3D laser mapping of the emergency ward at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.
August 19: The CBI requests a polygraph test for the accused, who has made contradictory statements during interrogation. Additionally, the federal probing agency considers a psychological autopsy of the victim to understand her state of mind leading up to the crime. Permission for the polygraph test is granted.
August 20: The CBI presents its case at the Supreme Court. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, hearing the suo motu case, slammed the West Bengal government and the police over the handling of the case.
Additional Information
A major controversy erupted when it was revealed that renovation work had begun near the seminar room at R.G. Kar where the doctor’s body was discovered. This sparked allegations that authorities were attempting to destroy evidence. The demolition included the removal of a room and a nearby toilet, both situated just a few feet from the crime scene.
Hospital authorities justified the action as a response to students’ demand for a rest area in the chest medicine department.
However, the renovation raised serious questions about the investigation’s integrity and led to intense public outcry. The Calcutta High Court intervened, expressing concerns about the “urgency” of the renovation work and directing the state government to file an affidavit with photographic evidence by August 20 to confirm that the crime scene remained intact.
The investigation has since expanded to include allegations of financial irregularities at the hospital. The West Bengal government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe these allegations dating back to January 2021.