Kolkata: She was bleeding from her eyes, mouth and private parts, and there were eleven injury marks on her left leg, neck, right hand, ring finger and lips. Despite these findings, the police initially informed her parents that their only child had died by suicide.
On the eve of the incident, the victim – a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College – was seen cheering for Neeraj Chopra with her colleagues, finished a call with a friend around 1 am, had dinner and then went to take a quick rest in the third-floor Seminar Hall of the pulmonology department during her 36-hour on-call duty. Her body was discovered the next morning by junior colleagues. She was partially naked and a hair clip was found near her private parts.
The principal of the medical college, Dr Sandip Ghosh, initially attempted to dismiss the case as a suicide, stating that “it was irresponsible of the girl to go to the seminar hall alone at night.”
Following widespread condemnation and protests, the police registered it as a case of rape and murder, eventually arresting Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer allegedly caught on camera entering and leaving the premises. Local media reports describe Roy as a man with a history of necrophilia, torture and extortion.
Ghosh has since resigned from his post of principal of the medical college following public pressure. However, instead of accepting his resignation, the government has transferred him to the city’s National Medical College to serve as principal.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited the victim’s family on Monday (August 12) and promised justice. She has previously stated that the state government would not oppose a CBI inquiry into the case.
“The parents have alleged internal involvement. We want this case to be heard in the fast-track court. We would appeal for capital punishment,” she said.
Despite demands from doctors and opposition parties, CCTV footage of the crime scene has not been released. Authorities claimed that the CCTV in the pulmonology department and, more importantly, in the seminar hall, was not functioning on the day of the incident.
“This does not look like an assault by one person. All her injuries point to the involvement of multiple people, and probably premeditation. It is unbelievable that the authorities became aware of the incident only at 9 am, almost seven hours after she went to the seminar hall. They did not allow her parents to see her body for more than two hours after they arrived at the hospital,” said Dr Bishan Basu, an oncologist. Basu has been highlighting major loopholes in the investigation through social media posts.
Roy, the primary suspect, is a civic volunteer with ties to the Kolkata Police. Originally joining the force’s Disaster Management Group in 2019 as a volunteer, Roy managed to get transferred to the Kolkata Police Welfare Cell through connections. It remains unclear how a civic volunteer, without official police status, was able to live on the premises of the Kolkata Police’s fourth battalion.
Despite his civilian role, Roy enjoyed unrestricted access to all departments in the hospital. Several hospital staff reported his significant influence within the facility and his alleged close relationship with the hospital’s principal. Roy is suspected of exploiting his position to facilitate patient admissions in exchange for financial benefits. During a media conference, the Kolkata police commissioner declined to clarify whether any background checks were conducted on Roy during his recruitment.
“A man, whatever his identity, moves freely throughout the hospital, and no one questions him about what he is doing or where he is going. This is possible because he is close to an influential person. Even those who conducted the post-mortem hurriedly are not above suspicion. Why was the post-mortem rushed? What was the need to cremate the body so hastily?” questioned former police officer IPS Pankaj Dutta.
It remains unclear whether the police have questioned everyone present in the building during the incident. According to doctors, as of when this report was filed, the police are yet to question the interns who were on duty with the victim.
In a viral audio clip, an intern allegedly speaking with a PG student claimed that another intern with political connections was involved in the killing. The student, fearing repercussions, did not reveal the name and mentioned cover-up efforts by the authorities, led by the principal. The Wire has also seen multiple screenshots of WhatsApp chats between students making the same allegation.
Public health expert Dr Subarna Goswami, who met the victim’s parents on Sunday (August 11), claimed that a senior police officer offered a hefty monetary compensation to the family soon after the incident.
“They told me that the police wanted to ‘settle’ the matter and offered money even before the cremation. They refused it. Her car was damaged in the hospital parking lot just a day before the incident,” Goswami said.
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Hospital authorities have formed an eleven-member internal investigation committee, a decision that has been questioned by many in the medical fraternity. The inclusion of interns and a doctor from psychiatry, while excluding independent experts, has raised concerns.
“They initially tried to portray this as a suicide. We suspect the inclusion of a doctor from the psychiatry department is an attempt to suggest that Didi was suffering from depression,” said a junior doctor who was close to the deceased and used to address her as “Didi.”
“There is ample evidence against the principal. He was responsible for the safety of the hospital, and he failed. It is shocking that the state government has not yet removed him from his post. He was not even questioned by the police. The police must seize his phone and take him into custody for a fair investigation,” said Dr Manas Gumta, former secretary of the Association of Health Service Doctors.
Known for his close ties to the state’s ruling party, Ghosh is accused by many students and doctors of running the hospital like his personal fiefdom through threats and intimidation. There have been serious allegations of corruption and irregularities against him, leading to his transfer twice, but mysteriously, he was reinstated within days.
In June 2023, although he was transferred to Murshidabad Medical College, he locked the principal’s room and barred his successor from assuming office. He was reinstated within 48 hours. In September 2023, he was transferred again following a ragging-related incident in the boys’ hostel, but students close to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) prevented the newly appointed principal from assuming charge for five days.
A few students close to Ghosh also assaulted other students for not taking part in the protest against his removal. Ghosh again returned to the R.G. Kar Medical College within one month. A deputy superintendent of the hospital who accused him of running a racket was soon transferred out.
“Dr Sandip Ghosh is extremely vindictive. He uses his political clout to terrorise students and threatens us with dire consequences if we don’t toe his line. Many students have failed after raising their voices against him,” said an intern who requested anonymity.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has called for a speedy trial and has advocated for the death penalty or encounter killing of the perpetrators within seven days.
“These rapists, who don’t deserve to live in society, should be dealt with either through an encounter or by hanging,” Banerjee said.
Banerjee’s comments have drawn sharp criticism from human rights activists.
“He is trying to sensationalise the issue to divert attention from administrative failures. His party has given extrajudicial powers to civic volunteers. He has boasted about encounter killings before as well. This is a clear case of gang rape and murder, and such statements are being made to influence the investigation,” said Ranjit Sur, general secretary of Association for the Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR).
“It is a systematic failure. Abhishek Banerjee is trying to fool people by talking about encounter killings. How can people trust government hospitals after incidents like this? The hospitals are already understaffed and are being managed by junior doctors,” added former police officer IPS Pankaj Dutta.
Note- An earlier version of this story had mentioned fractures in the sternum, collarbone and pelvic joint. This was reported based on initial inputs after the post mortem. The Wire has now accessed the report. The story has been updated accordingly.
