Kolkata rape and murder: doctors march to police headquarters; CBI seeks nod for polygraph test on accused

Doctors protest police intimidation in Kolkata after gruesome rape and murder case

Hundreds of doctors marched to the Lalbazar, the headquarters of the Kolkata police, on Monday (August 19, 2024) along with two senior physicians Kunal Sarkar and Subarna Goswami, who were summoned by the police for allegedly revealing the identity of the victim of the gruesome rape and murder at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.

In a show of strength and solidarity, doctors marched from the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital to the police headquarters in support of those whom notices were served. Protesting doctors alleged that the notice was an attempt to intimidate protesting doctors.

Also read | Doctor rape and murder: Violence and vigil in Kolkata

“The police could have held discussions with us, instead they are trying to intimidate us. Let us find a solution to this. Police force is also part of the society,” Dr. Sarkar said. The doctors denied allegations that they revealed the identity of the victim and added they made no attempt to divert attention from the investigation.

Trinamool Congress leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, who was also issued notice by the police for a post on social media over the rape and murder, moved the Calcutta High Court during the day, challenging a notice sent to him. In his post Mr. Roy had called for custodial interrogation of the Kolkata Police Commissioner and the police had called the post misleading on the allegations made on delay in bringing sniffer dogs to the scene of the crime. Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj granted permission to the Rajya Sabha MP’s lawyer to file his petition challenging the notice. 

The High Court on August 13 handed over the probe of the rape and murder of a 31- year-old doctor to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI on Monday prayed for permission from a court in Kolkata to conduct polygraph test on the rape-murder accused Sanjay Roy. Roy, a civic police volunteer, was arrested by the police and is now under the CBI custody.

The CBI also questioned Sandip Kumar Ghosh, the principal of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, who is accused of informing the family members of the victim that the death was due to suicide and making renovations near the scene of crime.