RG Kar trainee doctor was raped by one person, CBI tells Calcutta HC
Sanjoy Roy, a former Kolkata police civic volunteer was sentenced to imprisonment for rest of life in January by the Sealdah trial court for the rape and murder of the doctor
KOLKATA: The 31-year-old trainee doctor murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 last year was raped before she was killed, not gang-raped, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the Calcutta high court on Friday citing its investigation and the report of a 14-member medical board.
The agency, however, maintained that there was a conspiracy to destroy evidence in the rape and murder case and informed the single bench of justice Tirthankar Ghosh that phone call records of three suspects are under scrutiny and 24 people, including some RG Kar Hospital staff, are being questioned.
CBI also submitted its case diary to the bench along with its status report.
While hearing a petition filed by the victim’s parents seeking fresh investigation, justice Ghosh asked CBI on March 24 if it ever found reasons to believe that the crime was committed by multiple people and not just Sanjoy Roy, a former Kolkata police civic volunteer who was sentenced to imprisonment for rest of life in January by the Sealdah trial court. The judge also directed CBI to explain the alleged conspiracy to cover up the crime.
“The court asked CBI on Friday to submit a list of the people who have been questioned so far and clarify why the probe is taking so long,” lawyer Shamim Ahmed, who appeared for the victim’s parents, told the media.
Deputy solicitor general Rajdeep Majumder, who appeared for CBI, told the court that the agency is still investigating the cover-up operation that followed the crime.
Majumder, however, did not indicate a deadline for completion of the investigation when the court sought one. CBI officers are probing several aspects, he said.
To be sure, CBI arrested Sandip Ghosh, the then principal of the medical college and Abhijit Mondal, the then officer-in-charge of Tala police station on September 14 on charges of tampering evidence. Both were released on bail since CBI did not file a charge-sheet against them in this connection. The agency did, however, file a charge sheet against Ghosh in November last year accusing him of financial corruption at the hospital.
The case will be heard next on April 23, the judge said.
The agency has been told to submit the case diary received from the Kolkata police which had initially investigated the case and arrested the prime accused Sanjay Roy.
“The court also directed the CBI to explain at the next hearing what problems it is facing in probing the case,” Ahmed said.
On August 10, 2024, the Kolkata police arrested 34-year-old Sanjay Roy as the prime accused but junior doctors at all state-run hospitals started a cease work accusing the state administration and the police of hiding the truth.
On August 13, the Calcutta high court ordered CBI to probe the crime.