Kolkata doctor's case: Parents allege ‘police tried to hush up case’

Family members of a doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered last month, joined the protesting medics at RG Kar hospital on Wednesday, 4 September and accused the Kolkata Police of attempting to suppress the case by hurriedly cremating the body of the doctor.

Participating in the protests at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the body of their daughter was recovered on 9 August, the parents demanded justice and accused a senior police officer of trying to bribe them after the incident came to light.

“The police, from the very beginning, tried to hush up the case. We were not allowed to see the body and had to wait at the police station while the body was taken for post-mortem examinations. Later, when the body was handed over to us, a senior police official offered us money, which we immediately declined,” the father of the deceased doctor said.

The Calcutta High Court ordered the handover of the case to the CBI in the second week of August.

The parents of the postgraduate trainee stated that they joined the protest to support the junior doctors fighting for justice for their daughter.

Since 10 August, protests have erupted across the state, with people from various sectors demanding justice for the victim.

On Monday, 2 September the CBI arrested the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Dr Sandip Ghosh, in connection with alleged financial misconduct at the establishment.

On Tuesday, 3 September the West Bengal Assembly unanimously passed a state anti-rape bill seeking capital punishment for rape convicts if their actions result in the victim's death or leave her in a vegetative state, and a life sentence without parole for other perpetrators.