Kolkata rape-murder case: No one entered cordoned off seminar room area, says police

The 43-second video, purportedly shows doctors, police officials and even private security guards deployed at the hospital gathering inside the seminar room

A senior Kolkata Police official on Monday refuted allegations on basis of a video which allegedly showed people, including police and hospital authorities entering the seminar room of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, minutes after the body of the trainee doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered, was found on August 9.

On August 22, the CBI, which is probing the case, had told the Supreme Court that the crime scene was altered. (File photo)

The 43-second video, which surfaced on social media, purportedly shows doctors, police officials and even private security guards deployed at the hospital gathering inside the seminar room, where the body of the victim was found.

HT couldn’t independently verify the authenticity of the video.

“The seminar room measures 51’ X 32’. The place where the victim’s body was found inside the seminar room, was cordoned off using curtains. There is no question of anyone entering that cordoned off area. People, who can be seen gathering in the video, were all outside the cordoned off area,” said a senior IPS officer while speaking to media persons at the Kolkata Police headquarters.

On August 22, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case, had told the Supreme Court that the crime scene was altered. The state government had refuted the charges.

According to the document submitted by the Kolkata Police in Supreme Court, while the victim’s body was first spotted at 9:30am on August 9, officers of the local police station arrived at the spot at 10:30am. The crime scene was secured to prevent any contamination, police had claimed. Officers of the detective department’s homicide wing arrived at 11am.

“The video shows that the crime scene had almost become a fair ground. Several people can be seen loitering inside the crime scene. Is it possible to keep the evidence intact with so many people entering and leaving the crime scene? That’s why the CBI is facing difficulty in conducting the investigation. The CBI counsel has already mentioned this in the Supreme Court,” said Sukanta Majumdar, state BJP president.

“I have seen the video. Some over enthusiastic people may have gathered there. Later, police sealed the crime scene to prevent any contamination. I am sure the guilty will be identified and punished,” Firhad Hakim, state minister told media persons.

Meanwhile, Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Dr Debasish Shome, a forensic medicine professor of the hospital and Dr Sanjay Vashisth, the hospital’s former superintendent were summoned for questioning by the CBI on Monday.

The agency is probing into the allegations of financial irregularities which surfaced at RG Kar during the tenure of Ghosh.

The federal agency raided 15 places in Kolkata on Sunday including the houses of the three doctors. The CBI also conducted a polygraph test of Ghosh.