Asserting that the crime scene was messed with, in one of the most atrocious rape and murder cases of a doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the CBI has raised questions on the West Bengal Police’s initial probe. On Thursday, CBI submitted its status report to the Supreme Court detailing its findings and irregularities observed during the investigation.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, is presiding over the case that has become a subject of national discussion owing to its shocking nature. The bench was deeply alarmed by the gaps in the case, particularly as regards the West Bengal Police’s first communication with the victim’s family. According to the CBI report, firstly, the police had told the family that it was a case of suicide and later classified it as murder.
The hearing saw Solicitor General Tushar Mehta inform the court that it was five days after the incident that CBI had taken over the probe, by which time vital evidence had been compromised. He stressed that the crime scene was no longer what it used to be, and this had made it difficult to investigate. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who represented the government of West Bengal countered this claim, arguing that all procedures were followed and everything was properly videographed.
The alleged mishandling of the case by the local police has sparked widespread protests, with the All Doctors Association staging demonstrations in Navi Mumbai and other parts of the country, demanding justice for the victim and stricter measures to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals.
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The higher judicial body termed the delay in the registration of the FIR and subsequent unrest that saw thousands vandalising the hospital as ‘horrific’. The apex court administration also laid sharp criticism on the state government for lapses that occurred in the initial stages of the inquiry.
With an answer to a rising discord as well as calls for systemic reforms, the Supreme Court has set up a ten-member National Task Force (NTF) that is mandated with developing protocols aimed at enhancing the safety and security of doctors and other workers in health institutions throughout this nation.
The state-run hospital’s seminar hall witnessed an incident that has not only sent tremors across Kolkata city but also provoked the need for justice across the nation. Consequently, the Kolkata High Court directed the CBI to take over the probe from Kolkata police on August 13th after listening to public outcry. The CBI then launched its investigations on August 14th with one goal in mind: unravelling all facts related to this tragedy.
