Kolkata: Former R.G. Kar principal Dr. Sandip Ghosh allegedly did not get an FIR lodged immediately and rather introduced a “new theory of suicide” in an attempt to downplay the rape and murder of the trainee doctor, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged.
Ghosh made a “vague complaint at a later stage through medical superintendent-cum-vice principal” even after the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was declared dead, it added.
Tala Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Abhijit Mondal was in touch with Ghosh before the crime was reported to the police outpost at the hospital, according to the CBI remand paper.
Such grave charges of lapses suggesting an attempt to cover up the case were mentioned by the federal agency in the remand copy to a criminal court in Kolkata, on Sunday. ThePrint has a copy of the CBI document.
The Kolkata Police officer and the former principal of the premier medical institute were arrested Saturday. While Ghosh was already in judicial custody for alleged financial irregularities during his tenure at R.G. Kar, Mondal had been served six notices before he appeared for interrogation leading to his arrest. On 10 August, the Kolkata Police had arrested Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, and slapped rape charges against him.
The police had claimed the scene of crime was secured after a video went viral showing dozens of people inside the seminar room where the trainee doctor’s body was found. DCP, Central, Indira Mukherjee encircled the persons from a grab of the video, identified them and stated that the scene of crime was blocked out with hospital curtains. She had further told the media that the room measuring 51 ft by 32 ft was cordoned off and accessed only by authorised persons, ruling out tampering of evidence allegations.
However, the CBI has demolished the statement in its charges against the arrested police officer. “Being the OC of Tala PS, Abhijit Mondal failed to cordon the scene of crime to preserve and protect the scene of crime which led to access of unauthorised persons causing damage of vital evidence available there by trying to protect accused Sanjoy Roy and others which might have resulted in tampering of evidence,” it said.
In fact, the CBI has claimed that General Diary No. 542 mentions that the post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor was found lying in “unconscious” state at the seminar room of the department of chest medicine.
This, it said, was a result of “conspiracy with hospital authorities, intentionally mentioning wrong facts” in the GD entry when a doctor had already examined the body and found the victim dead. The CBI alleged that this led to a delay in conducting the inquest as well as the post-mortem.
The central probe agency, which was granted three-day custody of Mondal and Ghosh, will conduct face-to-face interrogation of the two accused ahead of the Supreme Court hearing Tuesday.
“Being OC PS Tala, he failed to ensure taking videography of the complete process of sealing of the articles/exhibits, biological samples, etc. from the scene of crime as per the requirement under the provision of BNSS (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita) with a motive to render undue benefit to accused Sanjay Roy and other unknown accused persons/suspects, if any,” the CBI has further claimed.
In the previous hearing, the CBI informed the Supreme Court that it sent the samples for forensic examination outside West Bengal in two central laboratories, including AIIMS-Delhi, for their opinion.
Ghosh’s counsel Sumitava Chakraborty dismissed the charges brought against his client. “The CBI has arrested Dr. Ghosh after a month suddenly to get rid of the propaganda against it that justice is being delayed. This arrest is an outcome because of the immense political pressure on the agency and a face saver ahead of the Supreme Court hearing tomorrow,” he told ThePrint.
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Allegations against ex-principal
In its remand copy, the CBI has claimed Mondal and Ghosh were in touch at 10.03am on the day of the crime while the police outpost at the medical college was informed about the case at 10.10am as stated by the Kolkata Police.
“He (Ghosh) tried to downplay the incident of rape and murder to suicide which led to destruction of probable evidence. He was in touch with OC Abhijit Mondal, Tala PS on 10.03 AM and with advocate at 01.40 PM. He did not meet the family of the victim. Being head of the medical college, he failed to ensure timely completion of all the formalities on the part of the hospital immediately; rather he directed his subordinates to send the body to the morgue hurriedly,” according to the CBI.
Accusing Ghosh of failing to carry out his duties as the principal of the medical college, the CBI added that he had “intentionally not insisted on registration of FIR despite legal support.”
“He was head/principal of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital and got information about the incident at 9.58 AM on 9 August but despite having the information, he didn’t reach immediately. He did not make formal complaint immediately, rather he made vague complaint at later stage through Medical Superintendent- cum-Vice Principal even after declaration of death of victim at 12.44 PM despite victim being staff/trainee of the medical college and hospital, he did not try to get FIR lodged immediately, rather a new theory of suicide was introduced which is not possible as per external injury visible on the body of victim being undressed by lower part (sic),” the remand copy reads.
The remand copy further substantiated the victim’s parents’ claim that they wanted a second postmortem but the body of their daughter was cremated hurriedly. “We want the truth to come out, we were keen for a second autopsy, but the police rushed the body to the crematorium. The hearse was waiting outside the house for an hour before we could reach,” the doctor’s father had told ThePrint.
The CBI, meanwhile, has already taken over the murder-rape case from the Kolkata Police and pressed Sections 64 (rape), 103 (1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against unknown accused in the FIR.
On 9 August, the 31-year-old on-duty trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar room of the emergency building. Three days later, her parents moved the Calcutta High Court seeking a CBI probe.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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