Principal Under CBI Scrutiny In Kolkata Doctor Rape Case, Over 20 Arrested For Mob Violence
Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: On August 16, 2024, the Central Bureau of Investigation took the principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, Dr. Sandip Ghosh, into custody for questioning in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor at the hospital, an incident that occurred on August 9. This case has drawn huge media attention and turned out to be an out-of-box investigation involving several stakeholders.
Hospital Attack: Key Figures Questioned
Dr. Ghosh was questioned and so were Dr. Arunava Dutta Chowdhury, who took over the charge of the head of the chest department from August 1, and former superintendent Dr. Sanjay Vashisth. Both Dutta Chowdhury and Vashisth were questioned for over eight hours on August 15, after they were transferred following the incident.
In a related development, the Kolkata police arrested over 20 persons, including a woman, in connection with the case of a violent mob attack on the emergency department of the hospital. The attack took place at about 12:40 a.m. on August 15 and it was targeted on the emergency ward. It caused extensive damage to the hospital property while the junior doctors raised protests outside, demanding justice for the victim.
#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: On the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case, BJP national spokesperson Prem Shukla says, "It is very shameful that after the case was handed over to CBI, Mamata Banerjee government tried to destroy the evidence...They were TMC goons… pic.twitter.com/VpSPqxZCae
— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2024
Kolkata Police clear political allegations
Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal said that nine of the accused were identified from the CCTV footage and the others were arrested from the clues given by these nine. Contrary to the claims of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which termed the violence as an act of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left parties, the arrested persons had no strong political background. Some, such as Jit Biswas and Sheikh Sajan, were found not to have any criminal record as well. Another accused, Soumik Das, was caught on camera vandalizing the emergency department, though he claimed the protest had no violent intentions.
Also Read: IMA Calls Nationwide Closure of Non-Emergency Services On August 17 Over Kolkata Rape-Murder Case
It was the Kolkata High Court, headed by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, that transferred the probe from Kolkata police to the CBI last August 13. The court had berated the state government for giving in to mob rule and cleared the way for the CBI to take over the probe following a request by Mamata Banerjee for an impartial investigation into the crime. The court did not spare Dr. Ghosh's legal manipulative move to avoid arrest, rejecting his petition for immunity and threatened him with possible contempt charges.
Scrutiny Intensifies for Dr. Ghosh’s Role
Dr. Ghosh, who had resigned from his post on August 12, was reinstated in record time at the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital. His involvement in the case has been under intense scrutiny, especially following numerous corruption allegations from the Indian Medical Association's West Bengal chapter.
The involvement of the CBI comes after a writ petition by the parents of the victim, along with other petitions by some senior lawyers and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. The case has huge political and public interest, with debates continuing over the degree of insider involvement in the commission of the crime and how the local authorities reacted.
