Kolkata doctor death: What we know and what we do not

A political storm is brewing in West Bengal as beleaguered chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) continue to fight public perception that they encouraged and emboldened a ‘medical mafia’ to sexually assault and take the life of a junior doctor at Kolkata's state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital.

No evidence, however, has surfaced so far to support that perception. The CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), which is expected to produce a status report before the next hearing of the case in the Supreme Court on 5 September, has refused to share details of the investigation with a delegation of junior doctors. BJP MLA and leader of opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has demanded the chief minister’s resignation by Monday, 27 August, warning that she will be responsible for the consequences if she fails to step down.

Meanwhile the Calcutta High Court has allowed a so-called ‘apolitical’ group of students to take out a peaceful protest march to Nabanna, the state secretariat, on 27 August. The state government and the city police are bracing for a perfect storm on that day, and apprehend that political elements will infiltrate the ‘apolitical’ march.

The state government’s attempts to distance itself from the college's former principal Dr Sandeep Ghosh and order an SIT (special investigation team) to look into allegations of financial irregularities has been pre-empted by the high court order transferring the investigation to the CBI.

The chief minister has remained hard put to explain why the principal, who faced multiple charges ever since the alleged rape-murder was discovered, was not suspended or sent on long leave. Instead, even as the CBI continued to grill him for four consecutive days, he was transferred thrice in 10 days and finally posted as an OSD (officer on special duty) in the health department.

Dr Akhtar Ali, a former deputy superintendent of R.G. Kar who claims he was transferred the day he submitted an official complaint against the principal, was quoted by the Hindu as saying, “The principal [Dr Ghosh] failed students on purpose, took 20 per cent commission on tenders, took money for hostel allotments, staff selection commission, basically any work that happened in R.G. Kar like postings, transfer, or placement of house staff, he used to take money for everything." 

Dr Ali has also alleged that the ex-principal was involved in the trade of cadavers, biological waste, used surgical equipment, and medicines. Some of these allegations have been echoed by other doctors and medical students.

Unconfirmed reports doing the rounds suggest that the principal had attended to the chief minister on several past occasions, giving him access to inner circles in the TMC and in government.

That, and the decision to attach civic volunteers — political appointees on an ad-hoc basis on paltry monthly salaries — to the police is also under public scrutiny now. The accused civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy, is believed to have enjoyed the patronage of an ACP (assistant commissioner of police) close to the ruling dispensation, which allowed him to bully others and enjoy a disproportionate degree of authority.

Meanwhile, the CBI investigation into the alleged rape-and-murder will hopefully be completed in the next few days, before the next hearing in the Supreme Court. Here, then, are some details of what we know and what we still do not know about the case:

Rape or gang rape?

The jury is still out, but evidence of gang rape is thin. The arrested prime accused confessed to the crime and has not named an accomplice. He was caught on CCTV footage outside the seminar hall where the murder allegedly occurred, going in and coming out after 35 minutes or so.

The footage apparently does not show movement by anyone else from 3.30-4.30 am, when the crime is believed to have been committed. The deceased and her juniors on night duty, including interns, had dinner together at around 2.00 am. Her mobile phone data suggests she had sent messages until well past 3.00 am, indicating that she was alive. Forensic test reports from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, which are awaited, may throw more light on the issue.

 Pre-planned or crime of passion?

Several theories floating around in mainstream and social media suggest that the deceased was silenced because she had threatened to expose an unspecified racket involving influential people. However, she does not seem to have confided this to anyone even at home.

On the other hand, the arrested accused was intoxicated, confessed to the crime, and apparently has a history of sexually deviant behaviour and abuse, which prompted his former wives to divorce or separate. A strong argument made against a pre-planned rape and murder is that coteries in the hospital would not have drawn attention to themselves by silencing her in the hospital itself. The polygraph tests being carried out by the CBI today may clear the air.

Was evidence destroyed?

Kolkata Police claims to have been informed about the crime at 10.10 am on 9 August. A case diary was recorded at 11.30 am after the police officer from the concerned police station returned to the PS after collecting information and sealing the seminar hall.

A judicial magistrate arrived at around 1.00 pm and the hall was opened for them and other police officers. One of the allegations against the city police is that it allowed several unauthorised people from the hospital and outside to go in at the time, and evidence was destroyed in the melee.

The police, however, claims that the entire process was videographed; the accused’s earphones, the deceased’s personal belongings etc were retrieved and a seizure list prepared.

Was the crime-scene altered?

Allegations that the crime was committed elsewhere, after which the body was placed in the seminar hall, have been made. However, no evidence has surfaced until now to substantiate the allegation.

Did Kolkata Police mistreat the family of the deceased?

In unnatural death cases, police sources claim the SOP is to break the news to the family at home, and then escort family members to the mortuary or scene of crime once the evidence-gathering is complete. In this case, however, the hospital informed the parents of the deceased that their daughter had died by suicide, and they rushed to the hospital. By that time, the seminar hall had been sealed and hence nobody was allowed to go in.