The body of a second-year medical student was discovered on Friday under suspicious circumstances inside the seminar hall of a government-run hospital in Kolkata. The deceased, a post-graduate trainee in the chest medicine department, was found semi-naked with injury marks indicating a possible struggle. She had been on duty the previous night.
The injuries on her body included scratch marks on her cheeks, nose, lips, between her eyebrows, and on her neck. This suggests she might have struggled before her death. The body was sent for a post-mortem examination to determine if she was sexually assaulted and to ascertain the cause of death.
The student’s father expressed concerns that his daughter had been raped before being murdered, highlighting the injury marks and the state in which her body was found. He criticized the delay in the investigation and questioned the hospital authorities’ handling of the case.
According to a doctor at the hospital, the student had eaten dinner with her juniors around 2 AM and then went to the seminar room to rest, as there was no separate on-call room available. Her body was discovered the following morning.
The incident has prompted various reactions. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has reportedly assured the victim’s family that appropriate action will be taken. Health Secretary NS Nigam and Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal visited the hospital and initiated a three-member panel investigation.
BJP leaders, including MLA Agnimitra Paul, have called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, citing concerns about the integrity of the post-mortem examination conducted by the state authorities. Dr. Manas Gumta of the Association of Health Service Doctors has alleged attempts to suppress the matter and suggested that the post-mortem should be filmed and conducted by an independent expert not affiliated with the hospital.
