The rape and murder of a doctor on duty in a Kolkata hospital has shaken the nation
The 31-year-old doctor raped and murdered at a government hospital in Kolkata had a significant amount of semen in her body, suggesting gangrape, her parents told the Calcutta High Court that transferred to the CBI the investigation into the case that has shaken the nation.
They said in their petition that the postmortem report had unequivocally stated that the cause of death was strangulation of the neck and that there are clear signs of sexual assault.
"Petitioners state that the post-mortem report provided devastating details that confirmed their worst fears. Their daughter's body bore several injury marks, indicating a brutal and violent attack," said the petition, accessed by NDTV.
Several portions of the victim's head showed signs of trauma. "Both ears exhibited signs of injury, suggesting a violent struggle. Her lips were injured, indicating that she may have been silenced or gagged during the attack," the petition added.
It also said bite marks were found on her neck, underlining the severity of the assault.
The petition said that the autopsy found 150 mg of semen in the victim's body, "a quantity suggesting involvement of more than one individual, further corroborated the suspicion of gang rape".
Before the case was transferred to CBI, state police had arrested Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer who frequented the hospital.
"No step taken to arrest any other offenders while the evidence clearly indicates that their daughter was the victim of a gang rape and murder, a crime that could not have been committed by one person alone," the parents' petition said.
The parents also underlined that the then principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and other stakeholders who were responsible for the victim's safety on the premises are yet to be apprehended.
In its order to transfer the probe to CBI, the high court came down heavily on the hospital administration and especially its former principal Dr Sandip Ghosh. The court questioned why the hospital authorities did not file a police complaint after the doctor was found dead. It also pulled up the state government for appointing Dr Ghosh as principal of another medical college hours after he resigned as the head of RG Kar Medical College.
In their petition, the victim's parents have also said "they have come to learn through reliable sources that evidence exists on record suggesting that at least three individuals were involved in the strangulation of their daughter". "The significant amount of semen found in her body further supports the involvement of multiple perpetrators," they told the court.
The autopsy, they alleged, was conducted hastily. "Improper autopsy was done with a view to shield the others involved in their daughter's death," they said in the petition.
What State Has Said
The state government's counsel told the high court yesterday that the victim's inquest was conducted in the presence of a Judicial
Magistrate and two lady doctors. The inquest report was also signed by the victim's mother, the state counsel said. State police have maintained that they had shared the post-mortem report with the victim's family.
The postmortem, too, was conducted in the presence of a Judicial Magistrate and the entire process was videographed to ensure there are no allegations of foul play, police officers said. A copy of the postmortem report was also shared with the family members to ensure their concerns were addressed, they said.
CBI Takes Over
Following the Calcutta High Court order yesterday, officials of the CBI have taken over the case and Sanjoy Roy, the accused, is now in the central agency's custody. The CBI team, which also comprises medical and forensic experts, have been split into three groups. One will visit the seminar hall where the doctor's body was found, the other will take the accused to court and seek custody and a third will coordinate with Kolkata Police officers who were probing the case.