Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday began its probe into the August 9 alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor at Kolkata’s state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital amid nationwide agitation, less than 24 hours after the Calcutta high court directed the federal agency to file a report in three weeks, officials said.
The special crime unit team is being headed by a joint director who arrived from Delhi along with forensic experts, the agency’s officials from the Kolkata office said.
Sanjay Roy (31), a civic volunteer working for the Kolkata Police, was arrested on Saturday as the prime suspect in the alleged crime, which took place at the third-floor seminar hall in the hospital’s chest department between 3am and 5am on August 9.
The CBI team visited the crime scene and talked to hospital officials and staff till late evening.
On Tuesday, the agitating junior doctors at R G Kar Hospital stopped a hurriedly commissioned renovation work near the seminar hall, alleging that insiders were trying to destroy evidence. Opposition parties took up this issue as well.
On Monday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, too, did not rule out the involvement of “insiders” in the crime.
{{/usCountry}}On Monday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, too, did not rule out the involvement of “insiders” in the crime.
{{/usCountry}}While the CBI probe was in progress on Wednesday, Dr Arunava Dutta Chowdhury, who took charge as head of the chest department on August 1, told the media that the renovation was ordered by former principal Dr Sandip Ghosh, who claimed to have resigned on Monday from government service but was reposted within hours as principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH). This triggered protests at CNMCH.
“The renovation was ordered by Dr Ghosh. I was told that a space was being allocated for resident doctors to take rest,” said Dr Chowdhury.
He also told the media that classes used to be held at the seminar hall every day, and it used to be locked up after 8.30pm.
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“The deceased was like my daughter. I want to see the culprits behind bars. The seminar hall used to be locked up after 8.30 pm. The keys were kept with the nurse-in-charge, which is a rotational post,” Dr Chowdhury said.
The high court on Tuesday ordered Ghosh to go on leave and even questioned his quick reposting.
The CBI’s attempt to take Roy into its custody ran into obstacles during the day.
Since it is mandatory to get a suspect medically examined at a government hospital before he/she is transferred from the custody of one agency to another, the CBI and Kolkata Police first left for ESI Hospital in Behala but turned back when they came to know that doctors at the hospital had taken part in the ongoing agitation.
“The CBI took Roy to the Army’s East Command Hospital, but the army authorities cited rules and told the agency they cannot medically examine the suspect without a specific court order. Roy was finally examined at a railway hospital,” a city police official said on condition of anonymity.
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The court-monitored CBI probe was ordered on Tuesday by the bench of chief justice TS Sivagnanam and justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya. It came barley a day after Mamata Banerjee, who is also in charge of the home and health departments, asked the Kolkata Police to complete its investigation by August 18, failing which, she said, the case would be handed over to the CBI, a demand raised by the victim’s parents and opposition parties.
Tuesday’s order was passed after hearing on a writ petition filed by the victim’s parents, whom the chief minister met on Monday at their residence in the North 24 Parganas district. Five more PILs were also filed by senior lawyers such as Phiroze Edulji and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari.