The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), currently investigating the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case, informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that they took over the investigation on the fifth day, by which time everything had been “altered.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, stated before the Supreme Court, “The CBI entered the probe on the fifth day, and everything was altered by then.”
The central investigation agency submitted its status report in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directive issued on Tuesday and raised concerns about the date and time recorded by the Kolkata Police. The CBI also informed the court that the former principal of RG Kar Medical College, who is currently under questioning, was involved in several financial irregularities at the institution. It was also revealed that he had allegedly rented the surveillance cameras for the facility instead of purchasing them.
“One concerning aspect is that the Daily Diary entry by Kolkata Police was made at 10:10 am, but the crime scene wasn’t secured until late in the evening,” Solicitor General Mehta told the three-judge Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud.
Kolkata Police Did Not Follow CRPC Guidelines: Supreme Court
In response, the court asked senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, who was representing the Bengal government, about the timing of the post-mortem. Sibal replied that the autopsy was conducted between 6:10 and 7:10 pm.
The court noted that since the body was sent for an autopsy, it was a case of unnatural death and inquired when the inquest panchnama was prepared.
After further questioning, the Supreme Court observed that the Kolkata Police had not adhered to the guidelines set out in the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for handling a case of unnatural death. The court requested that Sibal have the responsible police officer appear to explain what occurred after the body was discovered.
Justice JB Pardiwala remarked, ‘The entire procedure followed by your state (West Bengal) is something I have not encountered in my 30-year career.’
The Supreme Court noted that although the crime occurred at night, the crime scene was not secured until over 18 hours later, at around 7 pm on August 9, following the post-mortem examination.
The court observed, “It is evident that an unnatural death case was registered at 11:30 pm after the officer returned to the police station. This was after the post-mortem.” The court then orally suggested that the CBI investigate this irregularity.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated that the FIR was filed at 11:45 am after the body was cremated, and videography was conducted only after senior doctors and the victim’s colleagues insisted, indicating their suspicion of foul play.
The Supreme Court also directed the Kolkata Police officer who recorded the first entry about the rape-murder incident to appear at the next hearing to provide details about the timing.
During the hearing on Tuesday, after taking suo motu cognizance of the case, the Supreme Court bench criticized the West Bengal government, the state police, and the former principal of the institution, Sandip Kumar Ghosh. The bench questioned Ghosh’s role, suggesting that there appeared to be an attempt to misrepresent the murder as a suicide.
The case involves the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The prime suspect, civic volunteer Sanjoy Roy, has been arrested. Amid ongoing protests, some individuals entered the premises of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 14 and vandalized parts of the facility where the victim’s body was discovered. On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the CBI.
This horrific incident has shocked the nation, prompting widespread protests demanding swift action in the investigation.
