A semi-nude body of a woman PGT doctor was found inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Friday. She was on duty on Thursday night, and her body bore multiple injury marks.
A team from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has landed in Kolkata to probe the tragic incident involving the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. This move comes following the Calcutta High Court’s directive to transfer the case to the central agency. Medical professionals across various institutions, including AIIMS and the Indira Gandhi Hospital, including resident doctors’ associations, such as the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA), said that their stir would continue until a central law to curb attacks on medical personnel is implemented and a concrete solution found.
Dr Ragunandan Dixit, General Secretary of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Resident Doctors’ Association said, “It was unanimously decided that AIIMS resident doctors, including foreign nationals, sponsored candidates, fellows, and undergraduates, would continue their indefinite strike until a written assurance is provided for the implementation of the Central Protection Act, suspension of the former Principal pending inquiry, and the fulfilment of other demands.”
In a significant development, a delegation from FORDA held discussions with Union Health Minister J P Nadda to address these concerns. The association has decided to call off the strike, effective from Wednesday, emphasizing the paramount importance of patient welfare in their decision-making process.
“A key outcome of the meeting was the health minister’s agreement to form a committee with FORDA’s involvement to work on the Central Protection Act. The ministry has assured that work on this will begin within the next 15 days,” FORDA said in a statement released late Tuesday night.
Doctors at the GTB Hospital here, who too were part of the delegation that met Nadda, have also called off their indefinite strike, according to Hospital RDA President Rajat Sharma.
Kolkata Doctor’s Death Ruled as Suicide by Hospital Official
The assistant superintendent of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, who was the first to call and inform the deceased’s family from the hospital, has been summoned by the police to Lalbazar on Tuesday. The family of the deceased stated that they were initially told by him that their daughter had committed suicide. a report by Anandabazaar Patrika mentioned.
However, it was later discovered to be a murder. Subsequently, the theory of rape came to light, prompting the police to file a case of both rape and murder and begin an investigation.
From the outset, there were questions about why the death was initially described as a suicide. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the deceased’s family on Monday, where she received similar complaints. In response, she announced that an investigation would be conducted to determine who first claimed the incident was a suicide. The police will be questioning the individual responsible for this assertion.
Allegation of tempering evidence
The West Bengal Doctors’ Forum wrote to the CBI on Tuesday, alleging that attempts were being made to tamper with evidence by carrying out construction work near the spot where the body of a female doctor was found at a Kolkata hospital. The body of the post-graduate trainee doctor with severe injury marks was found on Friday inside the seminar hall of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital’s chest department. The preliminary autopsy report suggested she was subjected to violent sexual assault.
Left groups and the BJP also accused authorities of Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital of attempting to tamper with evidence in connection with the case.
Pointing to the renovation work that began after the incident, at an area just a few feet away from the seminar room where the doctor’s body was found on Friday morning, CPI(M)-affiliated Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Students’ Federation of India (SFI) on Tuesday gathered at the gate of the hospital’s Emergency building to protest what they alleged was an attempt to destroy evidence and “hide the real culprits”.
Key Witness Testimonies Shed Light on the Events Leading to the Tragedy
Police have recorded statements from seven junior doctors, four of whom had dinner with the victim on the fateful night. The victim, having watched Neeraj Chopra’s javelin throw at the Paris Olympics, joined her colleagues for dinner at 2:30 am before heading to the seminar hall to rest. The autopsy report revealed cut marks on the victim’s hands and face, along with injuries to her head caused by a brutal blow that led to shards of glass entering her eyes.
The semi-nude body of the second-year PGT student in the chest medicine department was discovered inside the seminar hall at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The victim, on duty the previous night for 36-hours, displayed multiple injury marks. The preliminary autopsy report suggested sexual abuse before her murder, prompting her father to allege rape and murder within the hospital premises.
Arrest Made in Connection to the Case
Kolkata Police identified and apprehended a suspect, Sanjay Roy, in relation to the case. Roy, an outsider with access to various hospital departments due to his role as a civic volunteer in the police welfare board, was arrested following suspicious activities.