A fresh political controversy has erupted surrounding the rape and murder case of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Both Left-wing groups and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have accused hospital authorities of attempting to tamper with evidence related to the incident.
The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), both affiliated with the CPI(M), have raised concerns over renovation work that began near the seminar room where the doctor’s body was found. Protestors gathered at the hospital’s Emergency building gate, alleging that the authorities were destroying evidence to shield the perpetrators.
While West Bengal is seething with anger, given Mamata Banerjee’s apathy and Kolkata Police’s botched cover-up attempt, RG Kar Medical College authorities break down room walls, inside the Chest Medicine Dept, where the on-duty junior doctor was subjected to brutal rape and… pic.twitter.com/j2mJyziwNt
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 13, 2024
Dr. Subarna Goswami, associated with the Left-affiliated Joint Forum of Doctors, claimed that the postmortem report indicated the victim might have been sexually assaulted by multiple individuals. “It is evident that this was not the act of a single person… she was gang-raped,” Goswami told The Indian Express, referring to observations made while with the victim’s family.
The Kolkata Police have arrested a civic volunteer, Sanjoy Roy, in connection with the case, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now taken over the investigation. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Kolkata Police of attempting to cover up the crime. He alleged that the renovation work, which involved demolishing walls and a women’s toilet in the Chest Medicine Department, was a deliberate attempt to erase crucial circumstantial evidence.
The Indian Express reported that the demolition was planned to create a rest area for students, as per their demand, and was not intended to obstruct the investigation.
DYFI state secretary Minakshi Mukherjee, who led the protests at RG Kar Medical College, accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of trying to protect those responsible for the crime. Suvendu Adhikari, BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, called for the resignation of Mamata Banerjee, demanding that the CBI take immediate action due to alleged tampering with evidence.
The Calcutta High Court has ordered a CBI probe into the case and directed the Kolkata Police to transfer all relevant documents. A specialized CBI team, including medical and forensic experts from Delhi, has arrived in Kolkata to commence the investigation.
In solidarity with the victim, doctors and medical students organized protests, including a nationwide shutdown of outpatient services led by the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA).
