The recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s prestigious RG Kar Medical College and Hospital has sparked ongoing protests, with many questions surrounding the case still unanswered. Protesters, including resident doctors at the institution, are demanding clarity on the circumstances surrounding the horrific incident, particularly regarding who accessed the locked seminar hall where the crime took place.
According to a report on Anandabazar.com, the protestors have raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the investigation. The head of the pulmonary medicine department, Dr. Arunav Dutta Choudhury, expressed his own uncertainties about who had control of the keys to the seminar hall on the night of the incident. Choudhury mentioned that classes were held in the seminar room until 4:00 p.m. on August 8, and that the room was typically locked afterward, with the keys kept by the sister-in-charge of the ward. However, he admitted, “I’m not sure who accessed the keys.”
The trainee doctor’s body was discovered later that night in the same seminar hall, raising concerns about how the room, which was supposed to be secured, became accessible to the perpetrator. Choudhury, who took charge of his department just a week before the incident, stated that he had seen the victim’s body from a distance and suspected from the outset that it was an unnatural death. However, he was unable to shed light on who might have opened the seminar room or who initially informed the victim’s family that she had died by suicide.
Also read: Kolkata Rape And Murder Case, Horrifying Revelations From Autopsy Report
The uncertainty surrounding who had access to the keys and who may have used the seminar hall after hours has only fueled the ongoing protests. Resident doctors have vowed to continue their demonstration until they receive satisfactory answers from the authorities.
Nursing super Krishna Saha, when questioned by Anandabazar, also expressed ignorance about who had taken the keys that night. According to hospital protocols, doctors are supposed to take and return the keys after informing the sister-in-charge, but it remains unclear whether this procedure was followed.
The victim’s family has alleged that the initial call from the hospital informed them that their daughter had died by suicide. They were then reportedly made to wait for three hours before they were allowed to see her body, further adding to their distress.
The post-mortem examination revealed a significant amount of fluid, likely semen, in the victim’s body, leading experts to suggest that she may have been assaulted by more than one individual. The police have since arrested Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer with easy access to the hospital, on charges of rape and murder. Civic volunteers, who are local residents, assist the police in various duties such as traffic management and crowd control, especially during festivals.
