The Kolkata Police on Sunday summoned Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy for “spreading disinformation”, citing an X post where he was critical of the probe into the rape and murder of a doctor at a public hospital and demanded that the city’s police chief be questioned, a move that underscored fissures in West Bengal’s ruling party, as senior leaders hit out at the parliamentarian’s “illogical demands”.
“CBI must act fairly. Custodial interrogation of Ex Principal and Police Commissioner is a must to know who and why floated suicide story. Why wall of hall demolished, who patronised Roy to be so powerful, why sniffer dog used after 3 days.100s of such questions. Make them speak,” Roy, a three-time member of the Upper House, said in the post late on Saturday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is now probing the August 9 incident, has questioned Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, four times. In the post, Roy referred to the renovation work done near the third-floor seminar hall in the hospital’s chest department, the crime scene, after August 9.
Roy did not visit the police headquarters till Sunday evening nor did he remove his post.
{{/usCountry}}Roy did not visit the police headquarters till Sunday evening nor did he remove his post.
{{/usCountry}}A senior police officer who asked not to be named said, “Roy was summoned because he spread misinformation about the sniffer dogs. They were taken to the crime scene as soon as the investigation started on August 9. The police issued a public notice two days ago saying anybody spreading misinformation or exposing the identity of the victim would face action.”
TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh criticised Roy for the post.
“How can a senior leader like him demand Goyal’s arrest and interrogation by CBI? The commissioner worked round the clock to crack the case. The prime suspect was arrested by the police,” said Ghosh.
The development came close on the heels of the TMC dropping its former Rajya Sabha member Dr Santanu Sen from its panel of spokespersons after he took part in the agitations at RG Kar Medical College, his alma mater.
Sen was also removed from his post as health adviser to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
“As far as I know, no such post was ever created,” Kolkata mayor and cabinet minister Firhad Hakim told the media on Saturday.
“As a dedicated soldier of the TMC since its foundation I accept all decisions taken by the leadership,” said Sen, whose tenure in the Rajya Sabha ended recently.