CBI grills suspects in junior doctor’s rape-murder, visits Kolkata hospital
The Supreme Court, which has taken the case under its purview, has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to file a status report in the case by August 22
Several suspects in the August 9 rape and murder of the junior doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital underwent marathon grilling by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday even as the Supreme Court took the case under its purview and asked the federal agency to file a status report by August 22.
Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sanjay Roy, the civic police volunteer arrested on August 10, and Anup Dutta, a Kolkata Police assistant sub-inspector whose photos with Roy was found on social media, were questioned by CBI officials at the agency’s Salt Lake CGO Complex office till late evening, agency officials said.
While the interrogations continued, a CBI team went to the hospital in the evening, the officials said.
Dutta was questioned for the second time amid allegations that he helped Roy, the only arrested suspect, get access to police quarters and a police motorcycle although he was not entitled to any of these.
Dutta, the investigators found, is a member of the Kolkata Police Welfare Committee. Sanjay Roy was also attached to the committee and he was assigned to visit police personnel and their relatives admitted at various hospitals.
While this explained how Roy entered R G Kar Hospital, the investigators are trying to find out how he reached the third -floor seminar hall in the chest department - where the victim’s body was found – so late at night. According to the post mortem report, the crime took place between 3 and 5 am on August 9. Outsiders are not allowed to enter any hospital ward at such hours.
On August 13, the division bench of Calcutta high court chief justice TS Sivagnanam and justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya transferred the investigation from the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Police to CBI with immediate effect after hearing a petition filed by the victim’s parents who have repeatedly expressed their dissatisfaction with the local administration.
“The Central Bureau of Investigation shall submit a status report to this Court by 22 August 2024 on the progress in the investigation of the crime at RG Kar Medical College Hospital. The State of West Bengal shall also file a status report by 22 August 2024 on the progress of the investigation on the acts of vandalism which took place at the Hospital in the aftermath of the incident,” the Supreme Court division bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said on Tuesday in its order, a copy of which was seen by HT.
“We welcome the Supreme Court’s decision. CBI officials have also told us that they will find the real culprits. West Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose also talked to us over phone from Delhi today and said he is by our side,” the victim’s father told the media after the Apex Court passed the order.
Raj Bhawan officials in Kolkata said Bose is scheduled to meet the President, the vice-president and Union home minister Amit Shah during his trip to the national capital.
Even as protests by citizens and junior doctors continued in Kolkata and parts of Bengal, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party stuck to its demand for chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation.
“It is unfortunate for us that Banerjee is also in charge of the health and home department. After the observations the Supreme Court made, she should simply step down. Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal should also leave his chair,” Bengal BJP unit president Sukanta Majumdar said.
While the Bengal government remained silent on the Supreme Court order, the ruling Trinamool Congress said CBI was now under pressure to complete the investigation.
“A time-bound probe is what Mamata Banerjee promised on day one. The Kolkata Police arrested the prime suspect within 24 hours. CBI was entrusted with the investigation on August 13. Let us see what progress report CBI files on August 22,” TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said.