‘Attempts To Cover Up…’: BJP Alleges Outsiders Destroyed Crime Scene At RG Kar, Kolkata Police Responds

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday alleged that several people including the outsiders were present inside the Seminar room on the fourth floor of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where a semi-nude body of a second year PG student was found on August 9.

BJP while sharing a video, claimed that the crime scene was completely destroyed with the presence of doctors, policemen, hospital staff and outsiders in the Place of Occurrence (PO). However, the police issued a statement on the video saying that the except a few designated officials, no one was allowed to enter the PO.

BJP’s allegation

Party IT cell head and West Bengal in-charge Amit Malviya shared a footage on social media platform X, where a packed seminar hall with several people can be seen. The footage, which is reportedly from August 9, purportedly featured Prasun Chattopadhyay (PA of former principal Sandeep Ghosh), a lawyer, a forensic demonstrator, and other officers.

“Shocking footage from Seminar Room of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, soon after the lifeless body of the raped and murdered PGT lady doctor was found. The crime scene was completely destroyed with so many doctors, policemen, hospital staff and OUTSIDERS in the Place of Occurrence (PO). One can see these people in the video. There are several others: Sanjeev Chattopadhyaya, OC, RG Kar Outpost, One lawyer Shantanu Dey (in green half shirt). What was he doing there? Prasun Chattopadhyay (in maroon shirt), PA of disgraced former Principal Sandeep Ghosh, Debashis Shome, Forensic Demonstrator,” Malviya said in the post.

Questions Police’s intent

The BJP leader questioned the intent of Kolkata Police and said that why the police didn’t stop the crowd including the outsiders from entering the crime scene.

“With Kolkata Police present there, why did they not stop the huge crowd from contaminating the crime scene, leading to destruction of vital evidence? Or was that the agenda? Who called the OUTSIDERS inside the hospital premise? Kolkata Police didn’t allow the parents of the deceased to enter the crime scene, then why did they allow the OUTSIDERS to enter?” he added.

Questions intent of Mamata Banerjee government

Referring to the video, the BJP criticised the TMC government and raised several questions on the Mamata government. “This raises several questions on the intent of Mamata Banerjee Govt and their calculated attempts to cover up the crime. The out-of-line statements made by the Commissioner of Kolkata Police add to the grisly crime. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, while submitting before the special bench of the CJI, in the Supreme Court had said, “Our investigation is a challenge by itself as the PO was altered! Now we know what he meant”, Malviya added.

Kolkata Police’s Response

However, the Kolkata Police issued a statement saying that only a few designated people were allowed to enter the PO and the video pertains to the area which is outside the cordon.

“When the body was found, the area was immediately cordoned off. Forty feet away from the dead body, no one except scheduled number of people, including some police officials, doctors, forensic team, videography/photography team, who were supposed to enter the PO. The video pertains to the area which is outside the cordon. There were several people including the victim’s family, doctors, in the area,” the official said.

What’s the case?

The case pertains to the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 while she was taking rest after completing her shift. The prime accused, Sanjay Roy was arrested a day after.

Amid the ongoing protests, some miscreants entered the premises of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 14 and vandalised portions of the medical facility, where the body of the victim was found. The Calcutta High Court on August 13 had an order to transfer the probe from Kolkata Police to the CBI.

The Kolkata case has shaken the country, brought the functioning of RG Kar hospital under scrutiny, led to the ouster of its principal, and triggered massive protests by the medical fraternity’s students and civil society.