Didn’t find signs of struggle in room, says CFSL report in RG Kar hospital case

KOLKATA: A report of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) that its team did not find any “signs” of “struggle” in the seminar room of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata where a woman doctor was murdered on August 9 triggered fresh protests by medical students

“Evidence of possible struggle shown by the victim to the assailant or fight in between them were missing on the wooden stage mattress and adjoining area inside the seminar hall,” said the CFSL report, which surfaced late on Monday evening.

HT has reviewed the 12-page report by a five-member CFSL team. The report is dated September 11, 2024.

“Except the mattress kept on the wooden platform, the CFSL team didn’t find any biological stain anywhere such as the wooden platform, the wooden table kept near it or the floor of the seminar hall,” the report said.

The team inspected the crime scene on August 14, a day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case on the direction of the Calcutta high court. By that time the Kolkata Police SIT had already visited the crime scene and had collected the exhibits.

The CFSL report also raised questions on how someone could have entered the seminar room, commit a crime and leave, without anyone noticing him.

“There is less possibility that someone can enter the seminar hall (scene of crime) unnoticed for committing offence,” the report said.

According to the report, the seminar room where the doctor was found dead was located on the TB ward on the third floor. There was a nursing station manned round-the-clock on the path leading to the seminar room, followed by patient rooms on one side.

The CFSL report lamented that the scene of crime “was not in well-preserved condition” and there was evidence of “disturbance”.

The report also underlined that the door to the seminar room was closed with a piece of cloth tied to the door bolt and was not sealed.

The leaked CFSL report prompted concerns whether the CBI would be able to establish the case against Sanjay Roy, the civic volunteer with the local police who was first arrested by the Kolkata police on August 10 for the rape and murder of the doctor, in court. CBI has filed a charge sheet against Roy, alleging that Roy committed the crime when the doctor went to sleep in the seminar room during a break.

“The CBI is one of the top investigating agencies in India. But we want to question the agency as to what they have to say on the forensic report. If this is true where does the prime accused Sanjay Roy, who was arrested on charges of raping and murdering the doctor, fit in? Where is the actual crime scene,” said Aniket Mahata, a junior doctor who had become the face of the month-long doctor’s protest in Kolkata.

CBI, which took over the case from Kolkata police, later arrested Sandip Ghosh, former principal of the medical college and Abhijit Mondal, former officer-in-charge of the Tala Police station, on charges of tampering with evidence to hush up the case.

They were released on bail on December 13 after CBI failed to file the charge sheet against them within the stipulated 90-day period.

“We will not stop till justice is delivered. Tomorrow around 8 PM, we will light candles and take a vow to continue our fight for our sister Abhaya,” one of the agitating doctors said, according to PTI, at a protest to seek justice for the murdered doctor.

The protesters staged their demonstrations around 50 feet away from Dorina Crossing at Esplanade in central Kolkata.