The CBI, which is now investigating the case of rape and murder at RG Kar Hospital, informed a local court in Kolkata that “false records related to the case were created at the Tala Police Station.” The revelation came as the agency, entrusted by the Calcutta High Court with the investigation into the murder of a junior doctor last month, has procured CCTV footage from the police station sent to a central forensic lab for analysis. The Kolkata Police are yet to react to these developments.
The sudden twist in the probe comes after the CBI questioned Abhijit Mondal, the officer-in-charge of Tala Police Station at the time of the incident. Mondal was arrested for allegedly tampering with evidence, and Dr. Sandip Ghosh, the former hospital chief, is facing charges of financial irregularities. Both are in CBI custody.
The police have also arrested the primary suspect, Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer attached to the police. The suspect was identified from the footage of the CCTV camera as entering the room where the victim’s body lay just hours before the grim find.
CBI produced Mondal and Ghosh before the court on Wednesday after their remand ended. The court has sent them to judicial custody until September 30. By citing phone conversations, the agency claimed a possible “nexus” between Mondal and Ghosh. Mondal’s counsel countered that considering the severity of the crime reported from the hospital, it was not abnormal for them to talk to each other frequently.
While there have been serious allegations by the CBI, the defense contended that it had not provided clinching evidence for its claims. Apart from tracking down those behind the murder of the 31-year-old junior doctor, the CBI is probing the case relating to tampering with the evidence.
While Mondal is accused neither of rape nor murder, the CBI believes that he participated in the cover-up later. The whole government of Bengal and its police come under severe attack with accusations of trying to shield the perpetrators.
The CBI is also investigating a “criminal conspiracy” among Mondal, Ghosh, and Roy. It points out that an alarming two-day delay in seizing Roy’s clothes on the day of the incident might have destroyed important evidence.
The High Court and even the Supreme Court have questioned the 14-hour delay between the discovery of the body and the lodging of a police case. They have demanded an explanation as to why the hospital administration, led by Ghosh, did not inform the police immediately, which would have ensured a timely FIR.
In a related incident, Mondal was admitted to the prison hospital after he reportedly fell while being escorted back from court following a hearing. The CBI has also interrogated another doctor, Birupaksha Biswas, who is reportedly close to Ghosh and has been named in the investigation. Biswas reportedly belongs to a group that has terrorized medical students in the state in the past.
Meanwhile, the junior doctors, who had gone on strike for over 40 days in protest over their colleague’s murder, have resumed partial duty. They are presently providing only essential and emergency services.
The protests, which began on August 9, included failed attempts to negotiate with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to seek justice over the case and the removal of three officials, including the Health Secretary, for their alleged involvement. The medical professionals have cautioned that this partial return does not imply their agitation is termed over. “If required, agitation will be restarted,” they say.
