The Kolkata Police on Monday, firmly rejected allegations that the crime scene at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH), where a female doctor was allegedly raped and murdered on August 9, had been compromised. The allegations arose after a video surfaced online, purportedly showing multiple individuals, including hospital staff and others, crowding the seminar room shortly after the discovery of the victim’s body.
The video shows
The video also allegedly shows Debasish Som, a Demonstrator of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at RGKMCH, who is currently under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for suspected financial irregularities at the hospital. Additionally, the video reportedly identifies the presence of the personal assistant of former RGKMCH principal Sandip Kumar Ghosh, a lawyer, and a police officer from the RGKMCH outpost.
In response to these allegations, Deputy Commissioner of Police Indira Mukherjee addressed the media on Monday, categorically denying any tampering with evidence at the crime scene as suggested by the video. She emphasized that none of the “outsiders” shown in the footage, aside from the victim’s parents, were permitted within the cordoned-off area surrounding the body. “A restricted number of people were allowed inside the cordon, including investigating officers, forensic team members, on-duty body-shifting personnel, the victim’s parents, photographers, and videographers. No outsiders came inside the 40-ft area,” Mukherjee stated, seeking to dispel doubts about the integrity of the crime scene.
Further clarifying the situation, Mukherjee explained that the victim’s body had been cordoned off with hospital curtains, and no one was allowed within a 40-ft radius. “The crowd depicted in the video stood outside the cordon in the remaining 11-ft area of the seminar room. Some people were present there, including family members and some doctors from R.G. Kar who sat there writing down their demands, which kept on changing from time to time,” she added, underlining that the video may have been misinterpreted.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Firhad Hakim also weighed in on the controversy surrounding the viral video, acknowledging the chaotic scene but asserting that the situation was promptly brought under control. “I have also seen the video. At that moment, a few people entered, and in cases of such overwhelming situations, a lot of people tend to gather. But soon after, the seminar room was locked and sealed by the forensics,” Hakim stated, expressing confidence that the crime scene was secured adequately.
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Opposition Reacts to the Video
The video’s release prompted a strong reaction from the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which shared the footage on X, questioning the apparent breach of the crime scene. “Even when Abhaya’s parents were kept at bay for hours, how did the outsiders somehow manage to reach the seminar hall?” the BJP asked, pointing to what they perceive as significant lapses in the investigation.
BJP Lok Sabha MP Sukanta Majumdar criticized the handling of the situation, stating, “Principal Mr. Ghosh, doctors close to him, lawyers are grazing in the crime scene. Looks like a tourist spot the way they are walking around. How will you solve a crime like this? If you handle a crime scene like this, do you think any evidence will be left? They removed direct evidence, making it harder for the CBI to investigate.”
BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul also voiced her concerns, writing, “The video clearly shows a crowd of people in the seminar room on the day of the incident. Questions arise as to how so many people could be in the seminar room where the rape and murder occurred. What was the police doing? Was the police administration attempting to destroy evidence under the direction of Health Minister Mamata Banerjee?”
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sujan Chakraborty echoed these sentiments, accusing those present in the seminar hall of attempting to conceal crucial evidence. “Whatever they were doing in the seminar hall was illegal. It is clear that they were trying to hide evidence. Who were these people? Who called them? All the people should be identified and taken into CBI custody and investigated and questioned immediately,” Chakraborty told The Hindu, calling for stringent action against those involved.
CCTV Footage and Ongoing Investigation
The controversy surrounding the crime scene was further fueled by earlier CCTV footage that surfaced, showing Sanjay Roy, the main accused in the case, entering the Chest Department of RGKMCH with a Bluetooth ear device prior to the crime. The victim, a postgraduate trainee in that department, was reportedly nearing the end of a grueling 36-hour shift at the time of her death.
