BJP MP Abhijit Ganguly is calling for an investigation into alleged lapses in the CBI's probe of a doctor's rape and murder at RG Kar hospital, raising questions about the thoroughness of the investigation.
Key Points
- BJP MP Abhijit Ganguly alleges lapses in the CBI investigation into the RG Kar hospital doctor murder case.
- Ganguly demands investigation into the role of CBI officer Seema Pahuja, citing unexamined evidence.
- A sealed room and a staircase allegedly used to move the body were not properly investigated, according to Ganguly.
- Ganguly claims a nurse's video of the incident was suppressed by the CBI officer.
- The victim's parents have long alleged a 'shoddy role' by the CBI in the probe, echoing Ganguly's concerns.
BJP MP and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Ganguly on Saturday alleged lapses in the CBI probe into the rape and murder of the post-graduate trainee doctor at RG Kar hospital, and demanded an investigation into the role of a senior agency officer Seema Pahuja who had supervised the inquiry.
After visiting the state-run hospital, Ganguly claimed that certain crucial aspects linked to the case had not been examined by the CBI.
Allegations of Unexamined Evidence
"I came here after learning that Pahuja, the CBI officer who was in charge of the investigation, did not carry out two very important tasks," he told reporters after visiting the hospital.
Ganguly alleged that a room in the hospital premises, which has remained locked and sealed for nearly two years and could potentially contain incriminating material, had not been opened during the investigation.
"I came personally to check whether such a room actually exists. I saw that it is still locked and sealed," he said.
Concerns Over Crime Scene Handling
The BJP MP also referred to a staircase inside the hospital building which, according to him, was allegedly used to move the body from the original scene of crime on the night the doctor was murdered, and placed in the seminar room of the chest medicine department where it was eventually discovered.
Claiming that a nurse had recorded a video of the incident, Ganguly alleged that the footage was taken by the CBI officer concerned.
"She allegedly asked the nurse to delete the video and hand over the copy to her, warning that she could face trouble otherwise. Since then, the video has never come into the public domain," he claimed.
Ganguly said the staircase led directly towards the emergency section and connected through a passage to the area where the victim's body was found.
"These aspects were never examined properly," he alleged, specifically accusing Pahuja of failing to investigate key leads.
Demands for Further Investigation
Questioning why those areas were not examined, Ganguly said, "This was a very natural part of any investigation. Who influenced her not to do it?"
He further alleged suppression of evidence in the case and claimed that the officer concerned should be made an accused in the investigation and questioned.
"I am not blaming the entire CBI. It is a large and competent organisation. But, I am pointing to the role of a specific officer. She should be questioned as an accused," Ganguly said.
Ganguly's claims were in resonance with the long-standing allegations of the victim's parents about Pahuja's "shoddy role" in the CBI probe which has, so far, identified and convicted in court a civic volunteer of the Kolkata Police, Sanjoy Roy, as the main perpetrator of the crime.
They had claimed that the investigation was conducted in a half-hearted manner and several other culprits involved in the crime were shielded.
Roy was sentenced to life imprisonment till death, although widespread perceptions of a "larger conspiracy" involving influential people and a "state-sponsored cover-up" of the ghastly act continue to dominate the public sphere.
Ganguly's visit to the hospital came within 24 hours of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, acting on the BJP's pre-poll promise of reopening the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case files, suspending three senior IPS officers for their alleged mishandling and dereliction of duty during the initial phase of investigation.
Announcing the decision on Friday, Adhikari said the disciplinary action was initiated against former Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, and ex-deputy commissioners Indira Mukherjee and Abhishek Gupta in the wake of a departmental probe initiated against them.
The 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, 2024, triggering nationwide outrage.
The investigation into the case was handed to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court.
The mother of the victim, Ratna Debnath, contested the recently concluded assembly polls in Bengal on a BJP ticket, defeating TMC's Tirthankar Ghosh by a considerable margin of 28,836 votes.
