Supreme Court Questions 14-Hour FIR Delay in Trainee Doctor’s Rape-Murder Case
Kolkata, 22nd August 2024: On Thursday, the Supreme Court expressed concerns over the investigation into the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, particularly about the 14-hour delay in lodging the FIR.
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, while hearing the case suo motu, also questioned the actions of the college’s principal, Dr. Sandip Ghosh, and asked why he had been transferred to another institution.
“Why was the FIR delayed by 14 hours? Why didn’t the principal immediately come to the college to file the FIR? Who is he protecting? And why was he reassigned to another college after resigning?” questioned CJI Chandrachud.
These questions from the Supreme Court come as calls for transparency and accountability in the case continue to grow.
Dr Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, was transferred to Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital after the rape and murder of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee. However, the state government rescinded his posting on Wednesday, following demands from protesting junior doctors.
Additionally, three senior officials from RGKMCH were reassigned to other state-run health facilities.
*CBI’s Statement in the Supreme Court*
The CBI informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that efforts had been made to conceal the crime, as the crime scene had been tampered with by the time the agency took over the investigation.
“We began our investigation on the fifth day. Before that, all evidence collected by the local police was handed over to us. Investigating the case was challenging because the crime scene had been altered. The FIR was only registered after the victim’s cremation at 11:45 p.m.,” stated Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI.
Opposing these claims, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the West Bengal government, argued that everything had been recorded on video and nothing at the crime scene was altered. He maintained that Kolkata Police had meticulously followed the proper procedure and accused the CBI of complicating the matter with its status report.
