The brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital sparked significant anger and controversy, prompting a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation. The woman was discovered dead on August 9, with a postmortem report finding she had been strangled and sexually raped, increasing suspicions that numerous attackers were involved.
The matter was first handled by the Kolkata Police, which resulted in the arrest of municipal volunteer Sanjoy Roy. However, claims of evidence tampering and a lack of meaningful progress in the inquiry forced the Calcutta High Court to refer the matter to the CBI. The court’s judgement came amid mounting public and political pressure, including claims that the Mamata Banerjee-led state administration was trying a cover-up.
As the left-wing parties and BJP accused the hospital management of destroying evidence by demolishing barriers and starting renovations at the crime scene, the uproar grew. According to Amit Malviya, chairman of BJP’s IT department, state administration was protecting influential members of Trinamool Congress (TMC) in power. The relatives of the ill-fated were also deceived by official hospital sources declaring her death as suicide and delaying any access to her body whatsoever. The case has attracted massive public attention with the West Bengal judiciary’s integrity being called to question now that the CBI has taken on this investigation amidst rising cries for justice from within society.
