Calcutta HC orders CBI probe into Kolkata doctor's rape & murder

Kolkata, Aug 13 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered a CBI probe into the alleged rape and murder of a woman junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata last week.

Hearing a clutch of petitions in the matter, a division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya ordered a court-monitored probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as demanded by the victim's family members.

The bench also directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kolkata Police, which is currently probing the matter, to immediately handover all the relevant documents, CCTV footage, and evidence to the CBI officials.

Examining the case diary submitted by the police, the division bench observed that the progress of the investigation has not been satisfactory.

On Monday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that the state administration will hand over the probe to the CBI if the SIT is unable to conclude the investigation by Sunday.

However, on Tuesday, the counsels for the petitioners argued that that time-frame might have a negative impact on the investigation since there were chances of tampering with the evidence during the interim period.

The bench accepted the arguments and observed that during the last few days after the body of the victim was found in the seminar hall of the R.G. Kar MCH, there had not been any significant progress in the probe.

The bench was also in agreement with the arguments that further loss of time would leave chances for tampering with the evidence.

The court also questioned the communication goof-up on the part of the hospital authorities, including keeping the victim's parents waiting for information even after her bruised body was found on the morning of August 9.

The counsel for one of the petitioners, Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya, pointed out that after the body was found, the victim’s family members received a phone call from the hospital at around 10.30 a.m. informing that she was 'sick'.

“However, 15 minutes later, the victim’s parents were told that their daughter committed suicide. The family members were also made to sit for three hours during which they were not allowed to see the body. There are also complaints that the police advised the family members to somehow 'settle' the matter," he argued.

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