Audio clips allegedly capturing conversations between the parents of the Kolkata doctor who was raped and murdered earlier this month and at least two officials from the state-run hospital where she was on duty have surfaced online. These clips have reignited the debate over claims that her family was initially provided with misleading information during the first calls. News18 has not independently verified the authenticity of the clips.
In the clips, purported officials from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital—one male and one female—are heard urging the parents to rush to the facility. The female voice, identifying herself as the hospital’s assistant superintendent, first informs the parents that their 31-year-old daughter is unwell and later, in what is believed to be a subsequent call, suggests that she may have died by suicide. According to the West Bengal newspaper Anandabazar Patrika, three clips have gone viral.
The body of the trainee doctor was discovered in the seminar hall on the fourth floor of RG Kar Hospital, where she worked, on August 9. Her parents have previously stated that the initial calls from the hospital suggested suicide and that they were forced to wait for at least three hours before being allowed to see her body.
Here is a summary of the calls:
Official: She is unwell. Please come to the hospital. We’re admitting her.
Parents: Please tell us what has happened.
Official: She is really unwell, we’re admitting her.
Parents: Does she have a fever? How bad is her condition?
Official: The doctors will brief you when you arrive.
Parents: Does she have a fever?
Official: Can’t say, she might have died by suicide.
The clips were shared on X by the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has increased pressure on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s administration over the incident, demanding her resignation.
Viral Clips
In the viral audio clips, a woman is allegedly heard calling the victim’s parents to inform them that their daughter was critically ill and had been taken to the emergency department. “Her condition is really bad. Your daughter has been hospitalized. Please hurry,” the woman said. When a man, believed to be the victim’s father, repeatedly asked what had happened, the woman responded, “I am not a doctor; I am an assistant superintendent. Your daughter has been admitted to the emergency, her condition is very bad. A doctor will tell you more about this.” At one point, the woman mentioned that the doctor “might have died by suicide.” In another clip, a man’s voice is heard telling the parents to rush to the hospital.
It is unclear if these clips are part of the same call or from two or three different calls. RG Kar authorities have not yet responded to the situation.
Police Respond
Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Indira Mukherjee held a press conference in the evening, just hours after the clips went viral. “We have consistently stated that Kolkata Police never informed the parents that the victim died by suicide. These audio clips only reinforce what we have been maintaining all along,” she said, addressing social media claims that it was the police who told the parents the doctor had died by suicide.
The doctor’s parents stated they were unaware of the viral audio clips that have made headlines. “We are not watching TV. How would we know who is doing what or who accessed what?” the father was quoted as saying by Anandabazar Patrika.
The RG Kar case has sent shockwaves across the country, leading to intense scrutiny of the hospital’s operations, the dismissal of its controversial principal, and accusations of cover-ups and a broader conspiracy. The case has sparked massive nationwide protests and ignited a political clash between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP. One individual, a civic volunteer named Sanjay Roy with easy access to the hospital, has been arrested in connection with the case.
