Kolkata police gets 7-day ultimatum to crack gruesome rape, murder of woman doctor amid nationwide outrage

Authorities in West Bengal on Aug 12 gave an ultimatum to police to solve the gruesome rape and murder of a young woman doctor by the weekend, amid a nationwide outrage led by doctors over the incident.

"The case will be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), If the police fail to crack it by August 18,” Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister, West Bengal said. Earlier the chief minister met the family members of the deceased doctor and reassured them of justice.

The incident has sparked massive outrage across India prompting the doctors, particularly in West Bengal and the national capital Delhi to go on indefinite strike effective Aug 11 to demand justice for the 31-year-old deceased doctor.

The semi-nude body of a 31-year-old doctor was found at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Aug 9 morning, where she was practicing as a trainee resident doctor. Making significant use of technical evidence and the CCTV footage, police arrested Sanjay Ray, a civic volunteer of Kolkata police said to be the main accused in the case, a day later.

Junior doctors, interns, and postgraduate trainees at government medical establishments across the West Bengal vowed to continue their agitation until the culprits were brought to justice and the safety of on-call doctors ensured in hospitals.

Meanwhile, a two-member team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) scheduled to meet city police commissioner Vineet Goyal and the family members of the victim arrived in Kolkata on Aug 12. The nationwide strike and protests in response to a call by The Federation Of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), severely hit the health care, particularly in some major hospitals in Delhi and West Bengal.

Surgeries at AIIMS Delhi saw an 80 % drop and admissions were down by 35 % on Aug 12 as the staff went on an indefinite strike, reported PTI. The business of private hospitals was also severely hit due to nationwide protests.

"All elective admissions will be stopped with immediate effect and only emergency admissions will be done till the time strike is called off," read a notification issued by the AIIMS Delhi on Aug 12.

Resident doctors in Maharashtra announced an indefinite strike from August 13 to show solidarity with their colleagues protesting against the incident. National Doctors’ Association has called for a nationwide protest on Aug 13.

Three Public Interest Litigations (PILs) were filed in Kolkata High Court on Aug 12 seeking a CBI investigation into the case.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar has demanded a thorough CBI investigation into the case. "It is a very shameful incident.

We demand a CBI investigation because the police first said that it was a case of suicide and then called it a murder. The accused in custody is also a part of the police administration," he said.

Agnimitra Paul, BJP legislator from West Bengal also demanded a CBI investigation and a re-postmortem by a Central Government hospital.

"The condition in which her body was found--completely naked with bruises--suggests she was raped and then murdered. We demand a CBI investigation. A postmortem should not be conducted after the evening, yet it was done here. If the postmortem is carried out under the state system, the truth will be buried," Paul said.

‘Hospital management accused of a cover-up’

The RG Kar Medical College and Hospital management initially tried to cover up the case by calling it suicide, the mother of the deceased told a national TV channel hours after the incident. She alleged rape and murder demanding exemplary punishment for the accused involved in heinous crime.

The police ruled out suicide later an initial autopsy report indicated that the victim was sexually assaulted and then murdered.

"There was bleeding from both her eyes and mouth and injuries over the face. The victim was also bleeding from her private parts. She also has injuries in her belly, left leg... neck, in her right hand, ring finger and... lips." according to the postmortem report.

A police officer on Aug 11 told PTI, "There is evidence that the doctor was sleeping alone in the seminar hall of the hospital when she was attacked by the accused,”

“The woman tried to resist but was strangled to death. To make sure she was dead, he also smothered her. There is a possibility that the accused could have raped her after the murder," he added.

The police investigation revealed that Ray misused his association with Kolkata police to commit the crime, media reports.

Ray enjoyed privileges and freedom of movement like the regular policemen. The initial investigation revealed he used to live at a police barrack in north Kolkata which is meant for regular cops in the permanent payroll, according to IANS.

The investigators also found personal numbers of some lower-ranking police officers and staff from the accused's mobile phone.

"Ray enjoyed easy access to almost all departments due to his role in the police welfare association. He would check on relatives and family members of police admitted to the hospital. He was also posted in RG Kar Hospitals outpost on different occasions,” said a senior police official.

"Because of his proximity with senior police officers, Ray could influence people wherever needed. The investigators are also looking into this aspect and if at all it helped him in the commission of crime,” he added.

The accused had access to every part of the hospital including rooms and wards. His identity as a "police guy" also helped him in this case, according to media reports.

The fact that how easily the accused was able to access the room she was sleeping in, has led to a huge outrage among doctors over security at a government-run hospital.

Following the public outcry, the hospital authorities on Aug 10 expelled the two security persons contractually employed at the emergency ward for dereliction of their duties, which paved the way for the accused to commit the crime.