Doctor's murder: Mamata Banerjee sets 18 August deadline for police probe

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday, 12 August, said her government will hand over the RG Kar hospital doctor murder probe to the CBI if the police are unable to solve the case by Sunday, 18 August.

Banerjee also said she wants the case to be tried in a fast-track court.

“I want the police to arrest the culprits as soon as possible. If they are not able to crack the case by Sunday, we will hand it over to the CBI. I don’t have an issue with the central agency taking over, but its success rate is low,” she told reporters here after visiting the residence of the deceased doctor.

The chief minister made a mention of a few high-profile cases that the CBI “could not solve”.

The body of the woman post-graduate trainee, who was allegedly raped and murdered inside a seminar hall of the hospital, was found on Friday morning. A civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday in connection with the case.

Banerjee said the family members of the deceased doctor suspect that an insider was involved.

“I have told the police that if there is any such doubt against anyone - the victim’s friends and others - should be questioned,” she said.

Banerjee also said the principal of the hospital has resigned from the post.

“He has spoken about the abuses hurled at him (after the incident). We have shifted him to another department. We have also removed the MSVP (medical superintendent and vice principal) due to negligence. The head of the chest medicine department and Kolkata Police’s ACP in charge of RG Kar hospital’s security have also been removed,” she said.

The CM had on Saturday vowed to seek death penalty for the accused in the case.

Facing backlash over the incident at the state-run RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, its principal Sandip Ghosh resigned from his post and government service on Monday morning, days after junior doctors demanded his removal for failing to provide security to the staff.

“We want this case to go to a fast-track court. We will also demand capital punishment. Some people may have forgotten how to behave in society. It is a heinous crime to engage in such violence against women,” Banerjee said.

Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal also accompanied Banerjee to the victim’s residence.

“All those who were near the place of occurrence and have a connection or involvement are being called and will be summoned if they haven’t been yet. We are certain that within the next four to five days, if there are more culprits, we will be able to arrest them," he said.

"If even after that, the family is not satisfied (with the probe conducted by the police), then whatever the chief minister has said will happen (handing over the case to the CBI),” Goyal said.

Goyal also said the police have already opened a helpline number regarding the case.

“Doctors can share information if they wish to communicate anonymously. They can come and talk to us in person as well,” he added.