Abhaya Manch Protests CBI's Lapses, Burns Effigy After RG Kar Ex-Principal Granted Bail

Abhaya Manch staged a protest and burnt an effigy on Saturday, condemning the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) failure after a West Bengal court granted bail to former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh and Tala police station's former officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondal in connection with the Kolkata rape and murder case.

One of the protesters stated that demonstrations would continue until justice was delivered.

"Our demand is justice for Abhaya. Today's protest highlights the CBI's inability to file the chargesheet. The protests will persist until justice is served," he said.

Meanwhile, members of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) also held a protest rally against the bail granted to the accused in the Abhaya rape and murder case.

The protests follow the CBI's failure to file a chargesheet within 90 days, which resulted in bail being granted to Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal.

Reacting to the situation, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh remarked that the RG Kar case had been sensationalised by certain individuals.

"In the RG Kar case, Kolkata police arrested the main accused within 24 hours. Now, people are dissatisfied with the CBI investigation. Those who had demanded a CBI inquiry are now facing issues. The RG Kar case has been turned into a spectacle by some, with certain individuals exploiting it for emotional appeal," he said.

Earlier, junior doctors, nurses, and others staged a protest outside the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) office on Saturday, opposing the bail granted to Ghosh and Mondal.

The victim's father expressed disappointment, stating that the CBI initially made progress when protests were active. He added that sustained protests might have compelled the CBI to file the chargesheet.

"Wherever protests are held, we will join them. This is our only option now. I am heartbroken. We need stronger protests; only then will something change. The CBI has not filed a chargesheet. When we approached the court for justice, the case was handed over to the CBI, but they have not fulfilled their responsibility. While protests were ongoing, the CBI made progress, and arrests followed. However, once the protests stopped, the CBI's work halted. If the protests had continued, the CBI would have filed a chargesheet," he said.

The case pertains to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor whose body was discovered on August 9 in the hospital's seminar room, triggering widespread protests. Shortly after the incident, Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer at the hospital, was arrested in connection with the crime.

Meanwhile, on November 29, the CBI filed a chargesheet concerning financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The chargesheet named Sandip Ghosh and others, including Dr. Ashish Kumar Pandey, Biplab Singha, Suman Hazra, and Afsar Ali Khan, for their involvement in financial misconduct. This investigation was initiated following an order by the Calcutta High Court.

In addition to the corruption case, Sandip Ghosh faced questioning regarding the murder case. As part of the probe, the CBI conducted polygraph tests on him.

Sanjay Roy, the prime suspect in the rape and murder, denied the charges. Speaking from a police van on November 11, he alleged, "I am telling you, it was Vineet Goyal (former Kolkata Police Commissioner) who orchestrated the entire conspiracy--the rape and murder of the RG Kar Medical College resident doctor--and framed me. They threatened me, and there were other senior officers involved."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)